AtmospherAtmosphereeEarth’s

albedo

Atmosphere Earth’s albedo“Describe and explain the energy exchanges that result in the Earth’s surface receiving only 56% of the solar energy which reaches the outer atmosphere”.

Atmosphere Earth’s albedoThe earth’s surface does not receive all of the insolation that reaches the outer atmosphere. Some of the light is either reflected back before it can heat the atmosphere, while some is absorbed.

Incoming Solar energy

100

CLOUDS

20

2GAS & DUST

6

16

20% is reflected by highly reflective clouds .

6% is reflected by atmospheric gases and dust.2% is

absorbed by clouds.

16% is absorbed by water vapour, gases and, particularly, dust due to darker, absorbing colour.

This results in 44% of insolation never reaching the earth’s surface.

Atmosphere Earth’s albedoThe earth’s surface does not receive all of the insolation that reaches the outer atmosphere. Some of the light is either reflected back before it can heat the atmosphere, while some it absorbed.

Incoming Solar energy reaching the

surface

56

Of the 56% which does reach the surface, 50% is absorbed by the surface (land and vegetation) and 6% is reflected (water, deserts and glaciers).The 32% lost by reflection is called the earth’s

albedo .

Atmosphere Earth’s albedo

Atmosphere Earth’s albedo

2006

Atmosphere Earth’s albedo

1999

Atmosphere Earth’s albedohttp://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sciencepoles.org/pics/scientific_articles/albedo1_or.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sciencepoles.org/index.php%3Fs%3D2%26rs%3Dhome%26uid%3D625%26lg%3Den&start=30&h=375&w=500&sz=15&tbnid=vhOAvsK69mcLcM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&hl=en&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dearths%2Balbedo%26start%3D20%26gbv%3D1%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN