How does the atmosphere interact with the Sun?
The atmosphere also interacts with incoming radiation through a process called molecular scattering. Light rays are very small. As the light comes from the Sun, these small molecules scatter the light. Scientists call it Rayleigh scattering.
What two things can happen when sunlight reaches Earth’s atmosphere?
Once energy from the Sun gets to Earth, several things can happen to it:
- Energy can be scattered or absorbed by aerosols in the atmosphere.
- Short wavelengths are absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere.
- Clouds may act to either reflect energy out to space or absorb energy, trapping it in the atmosphere.
What happens to the energy of the Sun when it reaches Earth?
The energy from the sun is either reflected or absorbed. Five percent of the energy is reflected by the Earth’s surface, 25% is reflected by clouds and the atmosphere, and 50% is absorbed by Earth’s surface.
How does the atmosphere affect the earth’s surface?
Energy absorption by the atmosphere stores more energy near its surface than it would if there was no atmosphere. The average surface temperature of the moon, which has no atmosphere, is 0°F (-18°C). By contrast, the average surface temperature of the Earth is 59°F (15°C). This heating effect is called the greenhouse effect.
Why is solar radiation higher at the top of the atmosphere?
Solar radiation spectrum for direct light at both the top of the Earth’s atmosphere and at sea level. This 22% reduction of solar irradiation will be higher on average because the Sun is not always at the zenith.
How is solar energy absorbed by the Earth?
Energy that is absorbed by the Earth is not the same as the energy incident on the Earth’s surface. On a perfectly clear or cloudless day, when the Sun is directly overhead (or at the “zenith”), solar irradiation is still reduced due to absorption (16%) and reflection (6%) by particles in Earth’s atmosphere.