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The Earth's Energy Budget

The way the Earth interacts with the sun's energy can be displayed in a diagram called the . It displays the sun's energy that reaches us and how much of that energy is by the earth and its atmosphere. Solar energy reaches earth as . Once the energy reaches earth, some of it is absorbed by the atmosphere, including . Some of it makes it to the earth's surface, and is absorbed by land and oceans. The amount of energy absorbed affects . The energy that is not absorbed by the earth or its atmosphere is back out to space in the same wavelengths in which it came to earth.

On average, the amount of energy coming in is equal to the amount of energy going out. So, we say the earth's energy budget is . If more energy was coming in than was going out, the earth's temperature would . On the other hand, if too much energy is reflected, and not absorbed, we'd see a in the earth's temperatures.

Of all of the sun's energy that the Earth, about 70% is absorbed by the land, ocean, atmosphere and and about 30% is reflected back into space. Which of the four correctly shows this relationship?

Four pie charts.

Pie chart shows that of the sun's energy is reflected by the Earth and 70% is absorbed by the Earth.

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