Mon Prof Augmenté
Earth’s Energy Balance
Solar radiation arrives as shortwave light, and Earth returns energy to space as infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases absorb some infrared and send part of it back toward the surface, keeping the planet warmer than it would be otherwise.
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In the picture
- Badge 1 sits on the Sun, the source of incoming solar radiation.
- Badge 2 sits on a cloud top where some shortwave sunlight is reflected away.
- Badge 3 sits on a greenhouse gas molecule in the atmosphere.
- Badge 4 sits where infrared radiation leaves Earth’s surface.
- Badge 5 sits on an infrared ray bending back toward Earth after interacting with a greenhouse gas molecule.
Examples
- A car interior warms in sunlight because visible light enters and infrared struggles to escape.
- A blanket traps body heat, similar to how greenhouse gases slow Earth’s heat loss.
Key takeaways
- Incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation must balance over time.
- Greenhouse gases reduce outgoing infrared, warming the surface and lower atmosphere.
Carry on in the app
Three questions on this lesson. It has left the free week, so its quiz is for subscribers.
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