The earth recieves energy from the sun, yet its temp remains roughly constant... how is this explained?

Question

Another way to ask this is "In what ways/quantities is the temp of the earth lowered to balance out the heat created from energy being added?"

Answer 1

Well, the solar energy received by Earth is considered a constant. The heat from residual internal sources is considered to be minimal compared to the amount received by the Sun. Also the idea of a constant temperature is relative to the scale of time and space you choose. I'm not going into variations possibly due to sunspot occurrence, orbital, precession, axis wobble, volcanic, meteor impacts, nor seasonal changes.
Here is a general model of energy transfers, heating and temperature.
The amount and wavelength of energy absorbed by a substance or blackbody causes it to heat to a particular temperature and radiate at a particular wavelength. Though the atmosphere is of a layered, mostly permanent composition and the Earth surface is not contiguous, this helps understand the effect of radiant energy on Earth. The reactions of the Sun make it so hot the radiant energy is essentially short wave (high frequency). Consider 100 units of solar sw received by the Earth (insolation), the atmosphere absorbs 25 (mostly due to ozone in the stratosphere) and reflects or scatters 25, while the water/terrain at the surface absorbs 45 and reflects 5. As the terrain and atmospheric gases absorb the sw energy they heat, but not too hot, and radiate long wave energy (low frequency).
The Earth surface radiates 104 units of lw - 100 to the atm and 4 out to space. The atm radiates 154 units - 88 back to Earth and 66 out to space. How can this happen and where does the additional energy come from?
There are several parts of this development.
Part of the reason is the atm is a layered, mostly gaseous composition that exchanges energy amongst the layers, the Earth surface, and out to space. Another part is the other ways energy is transferred, such as the convection and turbulent flow of gases that transfer latent and sensible heat between the surface and atmosphere. You experience this when water is transported and goes through its various phases to develop the local weather.
Lets give these processes values. Convective processes values account for 22 units of latent heat and 7 of sensible heat.
Now tally the total energy absorbed by the surface as 45 + 88 = 133 and the atm as 100 + 25 = 125. The convective processes ensure the energy balance by transferring 29 units of energy from the surface to the atm to obtain the 104 units and 154 units mentioned earlier. This leads to development of a mean global temperature as we know it at 15 deg C.
Notice how much the atm is relied upon to transfer energy out to space? Changing the atm composition with additional variable/ long term gases, particulates, and aerosols can alter the events.
Particulates and some gases can cause more reflection at the top of the atm resulting in less insolation, less heating, and lower temperature. Addition of some gases into the atm can increase the absorbtion of lw radiation or prevent it from being transferred to space. When it comes back to the surface, additional heating and a temperature increase will result if the convective processes cannot adjust for the increased energy.

Answer 2

The earth has an atmosphere which traps heat, reaching equilibrium, due to a balance of heat radiating from the earth's surface and the atmosphere acting as a blanket to hold some of it on the earth's surface.

Think of the process of a diver in a wet suit. The diver's body heat warms water that gets inside the wet suit and the body radiates more heat, some of the heat escapes, but the diver would freeze in cold water without it.

Take the moon as an example of what happens when there is little or no atmosphere, the temperature range can vary over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in a 24 hour period, much like you have guess should be true: Very hot during daylight and severe cold in the lunar night.

Answer 3

Brothers and sisters do we not see a generation of people today daily on Yahoo Answers who is faithless? No one has any hope left in them at all! It is sad but O boy so true. But we have known for years this would be like this just before the end of the human ruled world ends not the earth its self. They all have their own opinion of what might happen but no real facts to back those opinions up. To us it makes true sense a loving living God can and will keep this earth here forever and only do away with those who have no faith and would only cause problems for the living if left here a live. They the faithless ones can only benefit the living by becoming dust once again. They could have been a happy part of a loving family forever but no they had no faith in a God of love that can and will fix things aright here on earth like before Adam and Eve sinned. If only they would hear what we have to say, they could be there too. If only they could in truth believe in Jehovah's word the Bible. And like said above, "And here is a scripture that even mentions the direct link from humans to the earth. Psalm 37:29 - "The righteous themselves will possess the earth and they will reside forever upon it."" How nice to have that true real honest hope from Jehovah the only true God that can give us that for real!

Answer 4

The resulting heat created by this energy is balance by the amount of heat lost to space.

Answer 5

Hi. Everything must balance. The Earth re-radiates most of the energy as infrared.

Answer 6

I think the temp of the earth has more to do with the core of the earth and its temp. The rest is regulated by chemicals in the atmosphere and soil and water.

Answer 7

it is cold in spsce. the earth loses heat through radiation just as it receives it The errth revolves each 24 hours if it revolved each 48 hours there would be twice as much difference in night and day.
Also there is some warming from the hot core of the earth..

Answer 8

The Earth doesn't gain heat/energy from the sun, it just reflects it.

Answer 9

It is radiated into space.....how much is escaping into space and what effect the green house gasses have on this balance is what the "green house effect" debate of a potential increasing temperature on earth is all about.

Answer 10

Revolution