| Caption: |
Idealized diagram showing Earth's energy balance and how the greenhouse effect is produced. Approximately 47 percent of the incoming short-wave solar radiation (visible light, ultraviolet light, and some infrared radiation) is absorbed by Earth. This energy changes wavelength and is radiated back into the atmosphere as long-wave infrared (heat) radiation. A portion of this long-wave radiation is absorbed by water vapor, water droplets, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and other gases in the troposphere. These gases reradiate some of the infrared energy and heat up the atmosphere, producing the greenhouse effect. Larger quantities of these gases absorb and reradiate more infrared radiation, causing global warming. Eventually, all the infrared radiation leaves the upper atmosphere and the total energy input of Earth balances the energy output. (Modified after Trujillo, A. P., and Thurman, H. V. 2005. Essentials of oceanography, 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall; and Lutgens, F. K., and Tarbuck, E. J. 2004. The atmosphere: An introduction to meteorology, 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall) |
| Keywords: |
atmosphere, atmosphere heat budget, solar radiation, insolation, sunlight, electromagnetic radiation, longwave radiation, reflection, scattering, climates, climatology, global warming, greenhouse effect |
