How much solar energy is absorbed and how much is reflected and percentage (%) of the excess heat in the climate system has been absorbed by the ocean?
The amount of solar energy absorbed by the Earth and its climate system is balanced by the energy that is reflected back into space. This balance is essential to maintain the Earth's overall temperature. Here are the key components:
In summary:
- About 70% of the incoming solar energy is absorbed by the Earth's surface and atmosphere.
- Approximately 30% of the incoming solar energy is reflected back into space, primarily due to factors like cloud cover, surface albedo (reflectivity), and atmospheric scattering.
- Over 90% of the excess heat in the climate system resulting from human-induced global warming has been absorbed by the world's oceans. This oceanic heat uptake is a critical component of the Earth's heat budget and has significant implications for sea level rise, ocean circulation, and climate impacts.
It's important to note that the balance between incoming solar energy and outgoing thermal (infrared) radiation from the Earth's surface is essential for maintaining a stable climate. Any disruption to this balance, such as an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations, can lead to an accumulation of heat in the climate system, resulting in global warming.
About 30 percent of incoming solar radiation is reflected out into space and plays no role in Earth's climate system. Of the remaining 70 percent, 23 percent of incoming solar radiation is absorbed in the atmosphere, either by water vapor, atmospheric particles, dust and ozone. 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. The Earth radiates energy at wavelengths much longer than the Sun because it is colder. Of the roughly 56% of the incoming solar radiation making it through the atmosphere to Earth's surface, about 6% gets reflected by the surface and 50% is absorbed at the surface. Think of it this way: the solar panel absorbs about 30% of the suns heat energy, re-emits half out toward the sky and half toward the roof, which absorbs about 30% of the heat emitted by the solar panel or only 5% of the sun's heat (30% of 50% of 30%). Albedo is the amount of sunlight (solar radiation) reflected by a surface, and is usually expressed as a percentage or a decimal value, with 1 being a perfect reflector and 0 absorbing all incoming light. Of all of the solar radiation reaching Earth, 30% is reflected back to space and 70% is absorbed by the Earth (47%) and atmosphere (23%). The heat absorbed by the land and oceans is exchanged with the atmosphere through conduction, radiation, and latent heat (phase change). Absorptivity of a solar cell is about 90%, so around 10% of sunlight is reflected off. Most cells convert 10–30% into electricity, the other 80–60% becomes heat. Interesting that if you don't use up that 10–30% as electricity, that becomes heat too. Sun is the greatest source of energy to the earth. It provides continuous energy in the formation of radiation. Some part of which is absorbed by the earth's atmosphere while the remaining is reflected back. A reflected amount of radiation is called the albedo of the earth. Solar panels are designed to absorb light, and accordingly reflect only reflect a small amount of the sunlight that falls on them compared to most other everyday objects. Most notably, solar panels reflect significantly less light than flat water. Solar panels can work with indirect sunlight, but they will not produce as much power. Indirect sunlight is sunlight that is reflected off of another surface before hitting the solar panel. This type of light is still usable for solar panels, but it will not be as effective as direct sunlight.The ocean is storing an estimated 91 percent of the excess heat energy trapped int he Earth's climate system by excess greenhouse gases. Averaged over the full depth of the ocean, the 1993–2022 heat-gain rates are approximately 0.64 to 0.83 Watts per square meter averaged over the surface of the Earth. The ocean absorbs excess heat from Earth's system, acting to balance the excess heat from rising global temperatures. Scientists have determined that the ocean absorbs more than 90 percent of the excess heat, which is attributed to greenhouse gas emissions. Covering more than 70% of Earth's surface, our global ocean has a very high heat capacity. It has absorbed 90% of the warming that has occurred in recent decades due to increasing greenhouse gases, and the top few meters of the ocean store as much heat as Earth's entire atmosphere. Because changes in ocean systems occur over centuries, the oceans have not yet warmed as much as the atmosphere, even though they have absorbed more than 90 percent of the Earth's extra heat since 1955, and even as the rate of ocean heat uptake has doubled since 1993. Of the remaining 70 percent, 23 percent of incoming solar radiation is absorbed in the atmosphere, either by water vapor, atmospheric particles, dust and ozone. The remaining 47 percent passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed in Earth's land and sea which makes up nearly 71 percent of the entire world.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 radiative cooling happens in the atmosphere.