Radiation Budget Introduction Trading Card

A balance is a good example of how the radiation budget works. Think of the radiation budget as a comparison of how much sunlight reaches the Earth vs. how much heat the Earth gives off into space. The radiation budget represents the balance between incoming energy from the Sun and outgoing thermal (longwave) and reflected (shortwave) energy from the Earth. Studying the Earth's radiation budget is important because it helps scientists better understand how the Earth's climate works.

• What is the Earth's Radiation Budget?
• What are the parts of the Radiation Budget?
• How do instruments measure the Earth's Radiation Budget?
• What's interesting about radiation budget data?
  • Reflected sunlight.
  • Invisible light from the Earth and the atmosphere.
  • How clouds affect reflected sunlight and invisible light.
• Earth's Radiation Budget Facts.

View the ERBE Quicktime movie illustrating how Longwave data, Shortwave data, Clear Sky data, and Cloud Forcing data work (see Notes on viewing the ERBE Quicktime Movie).