Conduction, Convection, and Radiation

The three types of heat transfer in the atmosphere are conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction is when heat energy directly transfers from one substance to another. An example of conduction would be when air comes into contact with the warm ground the air is heated. Soil, water, and air and poor conductors of heat, however, so conduction has a minimal effect in heating the land, ocean, and atmosphere. Another type of heat transfer is convection. Convection is when heat is transferred through a liquid (gas or liquid) such as air. An example of convection would be the air near the earths surface is heated is gets less dense and rises while cooler air from above sinks. The last type of heat transfer is radiation. Radiation is when heat energy is transferred through empty space. Radiation does not need a solid, liquid or gas to go through so it can travel through a vacuum. An example of radiation would be when heat from the sun travels to the earth. These are the three ways for heat to be transferred.