Earth's Energy Budget: Water Vapor

  • Released Thursday, October 5, 2006
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Reigning on Earth's Climate - Only about 70% of the solar energy that reaches Earth is absorbed, while the other 30% is reflected back into space by atmosphere and aerosols, ocean/land and clouds. A closer view reveals a delicate balance between absorption and reflection as well as a release of energy by rocks, air and sea warming and emitting increasing amounts of thermal radiation (heat) in the form of long-wave infrared light. This radiation allows Earth to lose heat at the same rate it gains from the Sun. Evidence is in the land/ocean interaction, the absorption of energy by clouds, water vapor and the greenhouse gas ozone, as well as the 20-24% absorbed and emitted back by clouds.



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NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

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This page was originally published on Thursday, October 5, 2006.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:55 PM EDT.