Earth  ID: 10395

Earth's Energy Budget Animations: Global View and Budget Breakout

Released on February 19, 2009
Total solar irradiance (TSI) is the dominant driver of the Earth's climate. The global temperature of the Earth is almost completely determined by the balance between the intensity of the incident solar radiation and the response of the Earth's atmosphere via absorption, reflection, and re-radiation. Roughly 30 percent of the TSI that strikes the Earth is reflected back into space by clouds, atmospheric aerosols, snow, ice, desert sand, rooftops, and even ocean surf. The remaining 70 percent of the TSI is absorbed by the land, ocean, and atmosphere. In addition, different layers of the Earth's atmosphere absorb different wavelengths of light. Changes in either the TSI or in the composition of the atmosphere can cause climate change. Two conceptual science animations provide two different perspectives that both illustrate Earth's energy budget.
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A global view of Earth's response to total solar irradiance.
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A close-up view of how different layers of the Earth and atmosphere absorb different wavelengths of light.

For More Information

http://glory.gsfc.nasa.gov

Credits

Megan Willy (IRC/UMBC): Lead Animator
Maria Frostic (UMBC): Producer
Michael Mishchenko (NASA/GSFC GISS): Scientist
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10395

Missions:
Glory
Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE)

Data Used:
SORCE
The SORCE mission (launched January 23, 2003) will study the variability of the Sun and its impact on the Earth"s Climate.
view all stories where this data set is used
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

Goddard TV Tape:
G2008-047 -- Glory Resource Reel

Keywords:
SVS >> Climate
SVS >> Energy
SVS >> Global Warming
SVS >> HDTV
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere >> Atmospheric Radiation >> Solar Irradiance
SVS >> Climate Change
SVS >> Glory
SVS >> Copenhagen
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0