1. Energy Balance and Circulation Systems

2. Ocean circulation
Source: NOAA

3. Source: Wikipedia

4. Atmospheric Circulations
Source: Wikipedia

5. The Energy to Drive the Atmosphere
Unequal distribution in incoming solar radiation (red) and outgoing Earth’s radiation (blue)
Weather patterns and ocean currents redistribute energy from latitudes with a surplus into latitudes with a deficit.
Source: Ahrens, C. D., 2008: Essentials of Meteorology, An Invitation to the Atmosphere (5th Edition)

6. Energy received at the surface depends on:
1) Sun angle with respect to surface.
2) Path of solar radiation through the atmosphere.
Source: Wikipedia

7. Solar Radiation Entering the Atmosphere
Absorbed by gases and clouds – goes to heating (19%)
Scattered and Reflected by Gas Molecules, Clouds, Aerosols, and the Earth’s surface (30%)
About 51%
Source: Ahrens, C. D., 2008: Essentials of Meteorology, An Invitation to the Atmosphere (5th Edition)

8. Earth’s Energy Balance
Earth’s overall average equilibrium temperature changes only slightly from year to year.
A balance exists between incoming solar energy (shortwave radiation) and outgoing energy from Earth to space (longwave radiation).
Source: Ahrens, C. D., 2008: Essentials of Meteorology, An Invitation to the Atmosphere (5th Edition)

9. Without greenhouse gases, the average surface temperature of the Earth would be –18° C
No greenhouse gases
(only permanent gases)
The current atmosphere
(with greenhouse gases)
Source: Ahrens, C. D., 2008: Essentials of Meteorology, An Invitation to the Atmosphere (5th Edition)
33° C difference