Energy Balance 2 Quiz

Energy Balance and Greenhouse Effect

• The energy emitted by the Earth is represented by the equation E = σ * (Te^4 - Ts^4), where σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant.
• The solar flux (S) is approximately 342 W/m^2.
• An albedo (A) value of 0.3 represents 30% of incoming solar radiation being reflected back into space.
• The Stefan-Boltzmann constant (σ) represents the constant of proportionality in the Stefan-Boltzmann law, relating the energy radiated by a blackbody to its temperature.

Atmospheric Infrared Absorption

• CO2 and H2O can absorb or emit infrared energy by changing their rotation rate.
• CO2 and H2O can also absorb or emit infrared energy by changing their vibration rate.
• About 90% of IR radiation longer than 13 µm is nearly completely absorbed by CO2 and H2O during vertical passage through the atmosphere.

Planetary Energy Budget Imbalance

• The major cause of the planetary energy budget imbalance, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, AR5) 2013, is the increasing concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
• The imbalance in the planetary energy budget, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, AR5) 2013, is approximately 0.6 ± 0.4 W/m^2.

Greenhouse Effect

• The greenhouse effect is the process by which certain gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2 and H2O, absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, trapping heat in the atmosphere.
• In the presence of a one-layer atmosphere, the temperature at the Earth's surface (Ts) is greater than the effective temperature of the Earth (Te).