Radiation Balance
Earth's atmosphere and ocean temperatures are controlled by the "radiation
balance".
Robin Muench (ESR) |
This shows a simplistic overall view of the earth's
radiation budget. Incoming solar radiation warms the earth. Heat
is stored by the atmosphere, ocean, and land, and redistributed
by winds and currents on the Earth's surface. The earth then radiates
heat (infrared radiation) back into space. |
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This shows a more complicated view of this process:
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Important points to consider
- The land, atmosphere, and oceans are all warmed by solar radiation
(the atmosphere more quickly)
- Heat is continually exchanged between the land, atmosphere, and
oceans
- The oceans are the PRIMARY storage reservoir for heat
- Winds (in the atmosphere) and currents (in the ocean) redistribute
heat from the equatorial regions to the poles. This mechanism is one
on the driving forces of the wind and currents systems around the
globe.
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