Energy Input and Output on Earth

Key Questions

  • These are approximations but from NASA,
    340 #W#/#m^2# is received by Earth 100 #W#/#m^2# is reflected by the clouds and ground collectively so about 240 #W#/#m^2# is absorbed into either the ground or the atmosphere.

    The Earth emits around 400 #W#/#m^2#, to which 340 #W#/#m^2# is reflected back through greenhouse gases, the rest escaped through radiation. The clouds emit around 30 #W#/#m^2#, the atmosphere emits around 170 #W#/#m^2# and there is an atmospheric window which emits 40 #W#/#m^2#.

    These figures were generated using average over a ten year period.

    Hope this is useful.

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