Net Radiation Budget

• Greenhouse effect: gases in Earth's atmosphere trap the heat from the sun, heating the Earth
• When particles reflect energy, they change direction.
• When particles absorb energy, the energy is converted into another form of energy.
• Natural greenhouse effect: absorption of outgoing infrared radiation by naturally occurring water vapour, carbon dioxide and other gases
• Water vapour is the main benefactor for the natural greenhouse effect
• The Earth is considered to be a close system because energy is exchnaged between the system and its surroundings, but not matter.
• Net radiation budget: difference between the amount of incoming radiation and outgoing radiation

  [net radiation budget = incoming radiation - outgoing radiation]
• Incoming radiation: all solar energy that reaches the Earth's surface, not including the radiation reflected by the albedo of the Earth's surface
• Outgoing radiation: thermal radiation that is re-emitted by Earth's surface and atmosphere that is not absorbed by the greenhouse gases of the atmosphere
• incoming radiation > outgoing radiation = net budget surplus
• incoming radiation < outgoing radiation = net radiation deficit
• thermal energy is transferred from latitudes with a net radiation surplus to latitudes with a net radiation deficit.