ATMOSPHERIC ENERGY BUDGET

The Earth receives energy from the Sun to the form of electromagnetic radiation, the earth's surface receives ultraviolet radiation (UV) and visible radiation and terrestrial radiation emitted to the form of infrared radiation. These two major energy flows must be in balance. But the atmosphere affects the nature of this balance. The greenhouse gases allow the short-wave solar radiation to penetrate unimpeded but absorb most of the terrestrial long wave emission. Thus the average global temperature is 288K or 15 ° C, 33 degrees higher than if you had no atmosphere. This effect is called the "Greenhouse Effect" (GCCIP, 1997)

Greenhouse Effect (Miller, 1991), on the right shows what happens to solar radiation incident on the surface, with small amounts of greenhouse gases reirradia more energy back into outer space (left), fewer having higher concentrations of greenhouse gases (right)

The flow of moisture, mass and momentum within the atmosphere and the components of the climate system must be in balance. The balance of flows determines the state of the climate and the factors that affect them on a global scale should be considered the cause of global change.

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