Radiation Budget Activity: Introduction Answers

Questions and Answers:

1. What is meant by the term "radiation budget?"

   Radiation budget is a comparison of how much sunlight reaches the Earth vs. how much heat the Earth gives off into space.

2. Find a Web site dealing with the concept of the radiation budget.

   http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/erbe/ASDerbe.html
   or
   http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/images/Erb/components2.gif

3. What must the Earth do to balance the energy coming from the Sun?

   The Earth must reflect enough energy back into space to keep the temperature from getting too warm or too cold.

4. Why do NASA scientists study the radiation budget?

   Studying the Earth's radiation budget is important because it helps scientists better understand how the Earth's climate works.

5. How can you obtain more information about topics related to these questions?

   You can obtain more information about topics related to these questions by searching the Internet and from books in the library.