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Earth’s Energy Balance

Earth’s Energy Balance. The role of the Sun and atmosphere in establishing Earth’s surface temperature. Energy Flow. To solve a crime you “follow the money”; to understand many environmental problems, “follow the energy.” Energy changes form but the total amount is always conserved.

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Earth’s Energy Balance

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  1. Earth’s Energy Balance The role of the Sun and atmosphere in establishing Earth’s surface temperature

  2. Energy Flow To solve a crime you “follow the money”; to understand many environmental problems, “follow the energy.” • Energy changes form but the total amount is always conserved. • Energy eventually “degrades” into heat. • A place reaches a higher temperature when energy spends more time there—but just as much energy is always emitted as is absorbed.

  3. Energy Balance Diagram

  4. Solar Insolation:The Sun in January

  5. Solar Insolation:The Sun in June

  6. Vostok Ice Cores and Milankovitch Cycles

  7. Solar Activity • Sunspot number measures of solar activity. • Sun is actually brighter when more active. • In Maunder Minimum (shortly after Galileo) Sun was less active and Earth was cooler.

  8. Solar Variations and Climate Most climatologists’ models conclude solar variations alone cannot explain current amount of warming.

  9. Earth Radiation Budget Experiment What comes out must go in

  10. Solar Energy Potential

  11. The Carbon Cycle • The Earth is a closed system for carbon • Recycling of carbon takes place on many different time scales.

  12. Carbon Dioxide History Pollutants are causing changes in trace molecules

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