File:Greenhouse Effect (2017 NASA data).svg

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Summary

DescriptionGreenhouse Effect (2017 NASA data).svg	English: This figure is a simplified, schematic representation of the flows of energy between space, the atmosphere, and the Earth's surface, and shows how these flows combine to trap heat near the surface and create the greenhouse effect. Energy exchanges are expressed in watts per square meter (W/m²). Data is from 2007 CERES satellite instruments, and specifically this diagram Year 2021 update (not in diagram): Net absorbed energy (shown as 0.6) rose to above 1.0 W/m² based on independent CERES and ocean heat content measurements.(see fig.1 in Loeb et al.(2021), Geoph. Res. Let 48 (13), doi:10.1029/2021GL093047) The sun is responsible for virtually all energy that reaches the Earth's surface. Direct overhead sunlight at the top of the atmosphere provides 1366 W/m²; however, geometric effects and reflective surfaces limit the light which is absorbed at the typical location to an annual average of ~235 W/m². If this were the total heat received at the surface, then, neglecting changes in albedo, the Earth's surface would be expected to have an average temperature of -18 °C (Lashof 1989). Of the surface heat captured by the atmosphere, more than 75% can be attributed to the action of greenhouse gases that absorb thermal radiation emitted by the Earth's surface. The atmosphere in turn transfers the energy it receives both into space (38%) and back to the Earth's surface (62%), where the amount transferred in each direction depends on the thermal and density structure of the atmosphere. This process by which energy is recycled in the atmosphere to warm the Earth's surface is known as the greenhouse effect and is an essential piece of Earth's climate. Under stable conditions, the total amount of energy entering the system from solar radiation will exactly balance the amount being radiated into space, thus allowing the Earth to maintain a constant average temperature over time. However, recent measurements indicate that the Earth is presently absorbing 0.85 ± 0.15 W/m² more than it emits into space (Hansen et al. 2005). An overwhelming majority of climate scientists believe that this asymmetry in the flow of energy has been significantly increased by human emissions of greenhouse gases [1]. This figure was created by Robert A. Rohde from published data and is part of the Global Warming Art project.
Source	This figure was originally created by Robert A. Rohde from published data as part of the Global Warming Art project. http://www.atmo.arizona.edu/students/courselinks/spring04/atmo451b/pdf/RadiationBudget.pdf Original image: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Greenhouse_Effect_png archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20150909201753/http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Greenhouse_Effect.png http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/abs_temp.html originally converted to SVG by User:Rugby471. Updated to 2007 data and design update by User:efbrazil.
Author	Robert A. Rohde (Dragons flight at English Wikipedia)
Other versions	[edit] English italiano
SVG development InfoField	The SVG code is valid. This diagram was created with Inkscape, or with something else. This diagram uses embedded text that can be easily translated using a text editor.

Licensing

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 only as published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License.

1.2 only

References used in description

Kiehl, J. T. and Trenberth, K. E. (1997). "Earth's Annual Global Mean Energy Budget". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Association 78": 197-208.
Daniel A. Lashof (1989). "The dynamic greenhouse: Feedback processes that may influence future concentrations of atmospheric trace gases and climatic change". Climatic Change 14 (3): 213-242.
James Hansen, Larissa Nazarenko, Reto Ruedy, Makiko Sato, Josh Willis, Anthony Del Genio, Dorothy Koch, Andrew Lacis, Ken Lo, Surabi Menon, Tica Novakov, Judith Perlwitz, Gary Russell, Gavin A. Schmidt, Nicholas Tausnev (2005). "Earth's Energy Imbalance: Confirmation and Implications". Science 308 (5727): 1431-1435.

File history

Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.

	Date/Time	Dimensions	User	Comment
current	15:12, 23 June 2023	960 × 960 (7 KB)	Efbrazil	thermal radiation --> longwave radiation as per discussion
	16:09, 22 May 2023	960 × 960 (7 KB)	Efbrazil	graphical tweaks
	20:00, 19 May 2023	960 × 960 (7 KB)	Efbrazil	Further tweak to word wrap
	17:56, 19 May 2023	960 × 960 (7 KB)	Efbrazil	Graphic enhancements, content unchanged
	18:05, 11 May 2023	960 × 960 (7 KB)	Efbrazil	Updating diagram to be based on newer data here: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/what-is-earth-s-energy-budget-five-questions-with-a-guy-who-knows