Environment Counts | The increasing greenhouse effect
Author: Geoff Zeiss – Published At: 2011-11-21 10:48 – (835 Reads)
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The balance between absorbed solar energy and radiated energy of the Earth is being changed by the increasing greenhouse effect which leads to a net energy inflow of about 1 Watt/square meter.
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which intends to develop massive solar generation capacity in the Sahara as well as a direct current supergrid to bring the power to Europe has published the Desertec-Atlas to explain the concept of desert power.
Because the Earth’s surface has warmed by about 0.8 ° C since 1900, radiation from the earth’s surface (396 W/m²) has increased by about 5 W/m². Absorption from the atmosphere by the surface has increased by about the same amount. The result is a net energy inflow of about 1 W/m², which compared to the energy 0.03 W/m² generated directly by humans, is significant.
Energy from the sun
| Radiation from the sun | 341 W/m² |
| Absorbed by atmosphere | -78 W/m² |
| Reflected by clouds and aerosols | -79 W/m² |
| Reflected by Earth’s surface | -23 W/m² |
| Absorbed by Earth’s surface | 161 W/m² |
Energy loss from the Earth’s surface
| Radiation from Earth’s surface | -396 W/m² |
| Convection from surface | -17 W/m² |
| Evapotranspiration from surface | -80 W/m² |
| Total loss from surface | -493 W/m² |
Net balance:
| Radiation from sun | 161 W/m² |
| Absorbed from atmosphere | 333 W/m² |
| Total absorbed by surface | 494 W/m² |
| Total lost by surface | 493 W/m² |
| Net absorption | 1 W/m² |
| Human generated | 0.03 W/m² |
Approximately 161 W/m² of direct solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth’s surface. 333 W/m² are absorbed by the Earth’s surface from the atmosphere for a total of 494 W/m².
The Earth’s surface radiates about 396 W/m². Together with evapotranspiration (80 W/m²) and convection (17 W/m²) the Earth’s surface loses 493 W/m².
The net result is an increase in absorption of about 1 W/m².
