Thursday, September 8, 2011

Earth's Energy Balance

The title link is to a NASA Earth Observatory page which discusses the July heat wave in the U.S. The article also provides some relatively easy to understand details about Earth's energy balance, and is conveniently summarized in the next-to-last paragraph:

"The temperature on any planet, including Earth, is controlled by energy from the Sun. The Sun provides an average 340 Watts per square meter to the Earth. That energy returns to space as either reflected energy or radiated heat. Over time, the total outgoing energy should equal the amount of energy coming in from the Sun. When incoming and outgoing energy don’t balance, Earth’s temperature will change until balance is restored."

Please note that it is easy to subscribe to postings from  NASA Earth Observatory on the linked page.

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