What is the radiation budget?

The Earth Radiation Budget (at the top of the atmosphere) describes the overall balance between the incoming energy from the sun and the outgoing thermal (longwave) and reflected (shortwave) energy from the earth. It can only be measured from space.

Why is the radiation budget important?

The radiation balance at the Earth’s surface is also a critically important as it provides the energy needed to evaporate water at the surface, which in turn determines how much precipitation can fall over the globe.

What does it mean for Earth’s radiation budget to be balanced?

In simplest terms, Earth’s energy budget is balanced when the incoming flow equals the outgoing flow.

What is the Earth’s radiation budget and how is it measured Why is it important?

The Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) at the top of the atmosphere quantifies how the earth gains energy from the sun and looses energy to space. It is of fundamental importance for climate and climate change. In this paper the current state of the art of the satellite measurements of the Earth Radiation Budget is reviewed.

Is solar radiation longwave or shortwave?

Solar energy enters our atmosphere as shortwave radiation in the form of ultraviolet (UV) rays (the ones that give us sunburn) and visible light. The sun emits shortwave radiation because it is extremely hot and has a lot of energy to give off.

What is budget biology?

An energy budget is a balance sheet of energy income against expenditure. An organism in a laboratory experiment is an open thermodynamic system, exchanging energy with its surroundings in three ways – heat, work and the potential energy of biochemical compounds.

Why does the Earth need to budget the energy?

Earth’s energy budget is vital in establishing the Earth’s climate. When the energy budget balances, the temperature on the Earth stays relatively constant, with no overall increase or decrease in average temperature.

How does energy budget affect the Earth?

How does Earth’s energy budget affect Earth’s systems?

Anything that increases or decreases the amount of incoming or outgoing energy disturbs Earth’s radiative equilibrium; global temperatures rise or fall in response.

How much radiation does the Earth emit?

The 70 units of incoming solar radiation make it into Earth’s atmosphere. This is equivalent to 240 watts per square meter (70% of 342 W/m2). The atmosphere and clouds absorb 19 units of this incoming solar radiation, leaving 51 units of solar radiation that is absorbed at Earth’s surface.

What is the Earth’s Radiation Budget?

The Earth’s Radiation Budget. Based on the physics principle of conservation of energy, this radiation budget represents the accounting of the balance between incoming radiation, which is almost entirely solar radiation, and outgoing radiation, which is partly reflected solar radiation and partly radiation emitted from the Earth system,…

What is NASA doing to monitor the earth’s energy budget?

Other NASA instruments monitor changes in other aspects of the Earth’s climate system—such as clouds, aerosol particles, and surface reflectivity—and scientists are examining their many interactions with the radiation budget. Check out this Earth’s Energy Budget poster to learn more about our understand of energy flows into and away from Earth.

What units are used to measure incoming and outgoing radiation?

The units of energy employed in measuring this incoming and outgoing radiation are watts per square meter (W/m2). Incoming ultraviolet, visible, and a limited portion of infrared energy (together sometimes called “shortwave radiation”) from the Sun drive the Earth’s climate system.

What type of radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere?

INCOMING SOLAR RADIATION Incoming ultraviolet, visible, and a limited portion of infrared energy (together sometimes called “shortwave radiation”) from the Sun drive the Earth’s climate system. Some of this incoming radiation is reflected off clouds, some is absorbed by the atmosphere, and some passes through to the Earth’s surface.