[Intro]
3, 2, 1
Reflecting on absorbing
Absorbing reflections
Redirections
[Instrumental, Piano, Upright Bass]
[Verse 1]
Reflecting back to my eye
I see what you bring to me
Sunlight out of the sky
In colors of reality
[Chorus]
The Earth absorbing
Waves of energy
With hues bouncing
Freely
Creating true beauty
(Until Man’s activities
Ruin our festivities)
[Bridge]
Reflecting on absorbing
Absorbing reflections
Redirections
[Instrumental, Guitar Solo, Drum Fills]
[Verse 2]
Reflecting back to I
The vibrance brought to me
Sunlight out of the sky
In colors of reality
[Chorus]
The Earth absorbing
Waves of energy
With hues bouncing
Freely
Creating true beauty
(Until Man’s activities
Ruin our festivities)
[Bridge]
Reflecting on absorbing
Absorbing reflections
Redirections
[Instrumental, Saxophone Solo, Piano]
[Break]
Absorb infrared radiation
Trapped by damnation
A primate change creation
Wave hello to heat
Infrared beat
[Chorus]
The Earth absorbing
Waves of energy
With hues bouncing
Freely
Creating true beauty
(Until Man’s activities
Ruin our festivities)
[Outro]
Reflecting on absorbing
Absorbing reflections
Redirections
A SCIENCE NOTE
Sunlight interacts with Earth’s atmosphere and surface in ways that create colors and influence global warming. Here’s a detailed look at how these processes work:
Absorption and Reflection of Sunlight
- Absorption:
- Mechanism: When sunlight (composed of various wavelengths of light) hits an object, certain wavelengths are absorbed by the object’s molecules. The absorbed light energy is then converted into heat.
- Impact on Global Warming: Darker surfaces, such as asphalt and oceans, absorb more sunlight and convert it to heat, contributing to the warming of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. This increases the overall temperature, contributing to global warming.
- Reflection:
- Mechanism: Some surfaces reflect sunlight rather than absorb it. The proportion of light that is reflected by a surface is known as its albedo. Light-colored surfaces, like snow and ice, have high albedo and reflect most of the sunlight.
- Impact on Global Warming: Surfaces with high albedo reflect more sunlight back into space, which helps cool the Earth. As ice and snow melt due to global warming, the Earth’s albedo decreases, leading to more absorption of sunlight and further warming, creating a feedback loop.
Creation of Colors
- Reflection of Specific Wavelengths:
- Mechanism: Objects appear colored because they reflect specific wavelengths of light. For example, a red apple appears red because its surface reflects red wavelengths and absorbs other wavelengths.
- Role of Pigments: The color we perceive is determined by the pigments in the material, which selectively absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light.
- Scattering of Light:
- Mechanism: When sunlight passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, it interacts with air molecules and particles, scattering light in all directions. Shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) are scattered more than longer wavelengths (red and yellow), which is why the sky appears blue.
- Rayleigh Scattering: This is the specific scattering of light by particles much smaller than the wavelength of light, predominantly affecting shorter wavelengths.
Interaction with Greenhouse Gases
- Absorption by Greenhouse Gases:
- Mechanism: Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor, absorb infrared radiation (heat) emitted by the Earth’s surface. This absorbed energy is then re-radiated in all directions, including back toward the Earth’s surface.
- Impact on Global Warming: This process traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to an overall warming effect known as the greenhouse effect.
- Emissions from Human Activities:
- Mechanism: Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, increasing the concentration of these gases.
- Impact on Global Warming: Higher concentrations of greenhouse gases enhance the greenhouse effect, leading to more heat being trapped and a rise in global temperatures.
Summary
- Absorption and Reflection: Sunlight is absorbed or reflected by different surfaces, influencing both temperature and perceived color. Darker surfaces absorb more light and heat, contributing to global warming, while lighter surfaces reflect more light, helping to cool the Earth.
- Creation of Colors: Colors are produced by the reflection of specific wavelengths of light and the scattering of light in the atmosphere.
- Greenhouse Effect: Greenhouse gases absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation, trapping heat in the atmosphere and contributing to global warming.
Understanding these processes helps explain how the Earth’s energy balance is maintained and how human activities are altering this balance, leading to climate change.