SOLAR BUDGET AND ALBEDO
Earth’s Energy Budget
Incoming radiation must equal out-going radiation Incoming > Out-going = ? Out-going > Incoming = ?
Incoming/Outgoing Radiation
Incoming light can be 1. reflected back into space 2. absorbed 3 Incoming light can be 1. reflected back into space 2. absorbed 3. scattered
Sunlight striking earth by seaons
Albedo – outgoing radiation as reflected light
Earth’s albedo changes during the course of a day.
Some heat energy stays trapped for a short time because of the Greenhouse Effect before re-radiating back to space.
Example of the Greenhouse Effect The Sun’s energy passes through the car’s windshield. This energy (heat) is trapped inside the car and cannot pass back through the windshield, causing the inside of the car to warm up.
Why do we stay warm on Earth? Outer space is cold Why do we stay warm on Earth?
What is it about Earth that allows us too survive here and not any other planets?
ATMOSPHERE The atmosphere on Earth is special. It allows us to breathe and keeps us warm. The atmosphere is made of: Main Gases: Nitrogen and Oxygen Other Gases: Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, Methane, and many others
Carbon Dioxide Water Vapor Methane Nitrous Oxide Greenhouse Gases Carbon Dioxide Water Vapor Methane Nitrous Oxide
Greenhouse Sun shines in and warms up the inside. Heat energy becomes trapped inside the greenhouse by the windows and the greenhouse stays warm. The atmosphere of the Earth works in a very similar way.
Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect allows the Earth to stay warm and for humans and all life to survive. Earth is 4 billion years old, and the greenhouse effect has been working for a long time to keep Earth warm in order to sustain life. In the last 300 years, humans have begun to change the system