The Earth's Energy Budget

Earth's Energy Budget

Why has the world's average global temperature risen 1.1 degrees Celsius since the 1800s?

According to the United Nations, "The Earth is now about 1.1°C warmer than it was in the 1800s. We are not on track to meet the Paris Agreement target to keep global temperature from exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. That is considered the upper limit to avoid the worst fallout from climate change."

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Global Warming

Multiple Choice

According to the data, what is the overall trend in global average temperature?

• Increasing

• Decreasing

• Staying the same

Multiple Choice

What determines Earth's global average temperature?

• The balance between incoming shortwave radiation and outgoing longwave radiation.

• The amount of solar radiation received from the Sun.

• The amount of heat supplied by the Earth's core.

• The amount of longwave infrared radiation coming from the sun.

Match

Match the major factors affecting the Earth's energy budget and balance to their description.

• Solar Energy Output & Variations

• Heating Imbalances

• Atmosphere

• Greenhouse Effect

Fluctuations in amount of energy received due to the solar max and min cycle and solar storms.

Albedo affects incoming energy and axial tilt/rotation determines duration of sunlight received.

Presence of certain gases or thickness can determine how much energy received.

Presence and level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere interferes w/ outgoing energy.

• Fluctuations in amount of energy received due to the solar max and min cycle and solar storms.

• Albedo affects incoming energy and axial tilt/rotation determines duration of sunlight received.

• Presence of certain gases or thickness can determine how much energy received.

• Presence and level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere interferes w/ outgoing energy.

Earth's average global temperature stays consistent as long as the amount of incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation stays consistent.

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​Energy Budget Model

Multiple Select

In general, what causes Earth's global average temperature to increase or decrease?

• A change in the amount of incoming radiation.

• A change in the amount of outgoing radiation.

• A change in any of the factors affecting incoming or outgoing energy.

Fill in the Blank

If the amount of incoming radiation stays consistent but the amount of outgoing radiation decreases, then the average global temperature will ___________.

Yellow represents the incoming shortwave visible light from the Sun. The red represents the outgoing longwave infrared radiation from the Earth.

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​Energy Budget Model

Math Response

How much (percent) of the total incoming energy is reflected back to space? (total reflected divided by total incoming, then multiply by 100)

Type answer here

Correct Answer: 29

Deg^°

Rad

Math Response

How much (percent) of the total incoming energy is absorbed at the surface? (total absorbed by surface divided by total incoming, then multiply by 100)

Type answer here

Correct Answer: 48

Deg^°

Rad

Multiple Choice

Which of the following factors affects how much of the incoming energy is absorbed or reflected?

• Greenhouse Gas AMount

• Angle of incidence

• Surface Albedo

Multiple Choice

According to the model, how much energy is being emitted by the Earth's surface?

• 398.2 $$Wm^2$$

• 340.3 $$Wm^2$$

• 239.9 $$Wm^2$$

Open Ended

Using what you learned from this activity, explain why our planet is experiencing global warming. Ensure you address: energy budget, incoming and outgoing energy, greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, specific human activities.

Open Ended

Explain what the 340.3 $$Wm^2$$ of back radiation represents?

The amount and type of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere affects how much outgoing energy is retained.

The more retained and used as back radiation (green circle), the smaller the total outgoing radiation (orange circle).

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​Greenhouse Effect

Dropdown

The higher the volume or concentration of ​

Select answer

, the more heat that is ​

Select answer

by the atmosphere to ​

Select answer

the planet.

Luckily, greenhouse gases make-up less than 1% of the Earth's atmosphere. Water vapor is not included here as it can be anywhere from 0% to 4% at any one time.

This table also does not show the man-made hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) that are now in the atmosphere.

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​Atmosphere Composition

Drag and Drop

Which of the following gases in the atmosphere are greenhouse gases? ​

Placeholder

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Placeholder

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Placeholder

​ ​ ​ ​

Placeholder

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Placeholder

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Methane

Carbon Dioxide

Water Vapor

Nitrous Oxide

HFC/CFC

Nitrogen

Oxygen

Argon

Neon

Helium

Greenhouse gases absorb outgoing infrared radiation, then emit it in all directions, but most of it goes back into warming the lower atmosphere and surface.

Not all greenhouse gases are the same. Some are way more effective at absorbing the outgoing energy.

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​Greenhouse gases

Drag and Drop

Of the gases on the table, the ​

Placeholder

gases have the most potential impact on global warming.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

CFC

carbon dioxide

methane

HFC

GHG levels in the atmosphere are increasing. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, have interfered with the carbon cycle regulating levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. Other human activities are having an affect as well. Over 75% of GHG emissions are carbon dioxide.

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​Why greenhouse gas levels are increasing

Multiple Choice

Based on the chart of human emissions, which greenhouse gas is of the most concern?

• Carbon Dioxide

• Methane

• Nitrous Oxide

• CFC/HFC

Atmospheres with stronger greenhouse gas concentrations retain more heat.

Uncovered: no atmosphere Covered/Dry: atmosphere w/minor greenhouse effect

Covered/Damp: atmosphere w/stronger greenhouse effect

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​Greenhouse Effect Lab