Geographia Polonica (1986) vol. 52
Energy exchange between the atmosphere and the underlying ground as a basis for an analysis of the functioning of the environment
Geographia Polonica (1986) vol. 52, pp. 11-18 | 
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Abstract
Energy' exchange between the atmosphere and the underlying ground is an objectof interest in many branches of physical geography. So far this exchange has beenstudied in the most detailed way as a basic climatogenic process, but, on the otherhand, it is one of the most significant physicogeographical processes. The significanceof that broader aspect of energy exchange was stressed by Armand (1980),Budyko (1974), Chorley and Kennedy (1971), Miller (1981) and others. This articletreats the process of energy exchange between the atmosphere and the underlyingground as one of the most important processes which shape the temporal andspatial structure of the environment and determine the functioning of the environment.The notion of the functioning of the environment should be Understood asthe stability of a definite sequence of changes of different states'of the environmentunder the influence of differentiated solar energy influx. This definition is close tothe definition of the functioning of the environment proposed by many authors.For example, Blazhko et al. (1979) emphasize that the functioning is a processwhich transforms the environment, i.e. changes the number and degree of heterogeneityof components and relations occurring in that environment. Thus, functioningis a developmental process of the geosystem and determines its dynamics. Therepresentation of energy exchange in the form of a map is a significant issue fromthe geographical point of view because it makes it possible to carry out a temporaland spatial analysis of this process.
, Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement du Territoire, Académie Polonaise des Sciences, Varsovie