The Earth releases energy back into the atmosphere in two main ways:

• Radiation: The Earth's surface absorbs heat from the Sun and then emits it back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation. This is the same type of radiation that we feel as warmth from our bodies.
• Convection: Warm air rises and cool air sinks. This creates a cycle of air movement that transports heat from the Earth's surface to the upper atmosphere.

The part of the Earth that absorbs the most sunlight is the oceans. Oceans cover about 71% of the Earth's surface and they are very good at absorbing sunlight. The dark color of the water helps to absorb more sunlight than the lighter colored land surfaces.

Here is a more detailed explanation of each process:

Radiation:

When the Sun's energy reaches the Earth's atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space by clouds and other reflective surfaces. The rest of the energy is absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface.

The Earth's surface absorbs the most sunlight in the tropics, where the Sun's rays are most direct. The absorbed heat warms the Earth's surface and then it is emitted back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation.

Infrared radiation has a longer wavelength than visible light, so it is not as easily absorbed by the atmosphere. However, some of the infrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor. These gases trap the heat in the atmosphere, which is why the Earth's atmosphere is much warmer than it would be without them.

Convection:

Warm air is less dense than cool air, so it rises. As the warm air rises, it cools and eventually sinks back to the surface. This cycle of air movement is called convection.

Convection currents transport heat from the Earth's surface to the upper atmosphere. The warm air that rises from the Earth's surface carries heat with it. As the air rises and cools, it releases the heat back into the atmosphere.

Convection currents are strongest in the tropics, where the Earth's surface is warmest. This is why the tropics tend to be more humid and have more clouds than other parts of the world.

The Earth's energy balance is important because it helps to regulate the Earth's temperature. If the Earth received more energy from the Sun than it released back into space, the Earth would gradually heat up. Conversely, if the Earth released more energy back into space than it received from the Sun, the Earth would gradually cool down.

The Earth's energy balance is also affected by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels. When fossil fuels are burned, they release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases trap more heat in the atmosphere, which is causing the Earth to warm up.

Dr Murtadha Shukur thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Earth returns an equal amount of energy back to space by reflecting some incoming light and by radiating heat (thermal infrared energy). Most solar energy is absorbed at the surface, while most heat is radiated back to space by the atmosphere. In the atmosphere, greenhouse gas molecules absorb this thermal energy, and their temperatures rise. After this absorption, the gases radiate thermal energy back out in all directions. This thermal energy then radiates back out into space. Because Earth is much cooler than the Sun, it re-radiates energy as long wave, lower-energy wavelengths than it absorbs. This absorbed energy is re-radiated as infrared radiation, which we feel as heat. Air in the atmosphere acts as a fluid. The Sun's radiation strikes the Earth's surface, thus warming it. As the surface's temperature rises due to conduction, heat energy is released into the atmosphere, forming a bubble of air that is warmer than the surrounding air. This bubble of air rises into the atmosphere. Solar radiation that is reflected back into space by Earth's surface or atmosphere does not add heat to the Earth system. Absorbed radiation is transformed into heat. Plowing, clear-cutting forests, and growing crops are among the agricultural activities that change the absorptive or reflectivity of land. Evaporation and transpiration transform liquid water into vapor, which ascends into the atmosphere due to rising air currents. Cooler temperatures aloft allow the vapor to condense into clouds. The atmosphere absorbs 23 percent of incoming sunlight while the surface absorbs 48. The atmosphere radiates heat equivalent to 59 percent of incoming sunlight; the surface radiates only 12 percent. In other words, most solar heating happens at the surface, while most radioactive cooling happens in the atmosphere. The Atmosphere of Earth absorbs the most sunlight as it surrounds the planet. The sun's rays are strongest at the equator where the sun is most directly overhead and where UV rays must travel the shortest distance through the atmosphere. Most of the solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere, and much of what reaches the Earth's surface is radiated back into the atmosphere to become heat energy. Not only do the oceans cover more than 2/3 of the Earth's surface, they also absorb more sunlight and store more heat. The Earth absorbs most of the energy reaching its surface, a small fraction is reflected. In total approximately 70% of incoming radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface while around 30% is reflected back to space and does not heat the surface.