Energy Budget

Front

What is the energy budget?

Back

The energy budget refers to the balance between the energy received from the sun and the energy lost back to space. It includes the processes of absorption, reflection, and emission of energy.

Front

What percentage of solar energy is absorbed by the atmosphere?

Back

16% of solar energy is absorbed by the atmosphere.

Front

What type of radiation causes sunburns?

Back

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes sunburns.

Front

What percentage of solar energy is reflected by the atmosphere?

Back

6% of solar energy is reflected by the atmosphere.

Front

What percentage of solar energy is reflected from Earth's surface?

Back

4% of solar energy is reflected from Earth's surface.

Front

What is the total percentage of solar energy reflected back into space?

Back

30% of solar energy is reflected back into space.

Front

What is the role of clouds in the energy budget?

Back

Clouds can absorb, reflect, and emit solar energy, affecting the overall energy budget by influencing how much energy reaches the Earth's surface.

Front

Define 'absorption' in the context of solar energy.

Back

Absorption is the process by which solar energy is taken in by the atmosphere, oceans, and land, converting it into heat.

Front

What is 'reflection' in the context of solar energy?

Back

Reflection is the process by which solar energy bounces off surfaces, such as clouds or the Earth's surface, without being absorbed.

Front

Explain the greenhouse effect.

Back

The greenhouse effect is the warming of the Earth's surface due to the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.