Our living planet is unique among all that we have been able to explore in the universe so far. From the axial tilt that prevents many temperature extremes, to the location of the Golden Thread Zone, life on Earth relies on many finely balanced, interlocking cycles that come together to produce the exact conditions we need to thrive.
One of these cycles is the Earth’s delicate energy system – the inputs and outputs of energy received from the sun.
This cycle is dictated by all planetary climate systems. on me MarsSeasonal change in energy imbalance – About 15.3 percent Between seasons on Mars, compared to 0.4 percent on Earth – it’s thought to cause the planet’s infamous epic dust storms.
For a while at least, prior to the 1850s, the fluctuating energy cycle on Earth was relatively balanced. But now we have created a defect that has recently doubled in just 15 years.
“The net energy imbalance is calculated by looking at how much heat is absorbed by the sun and how much radiation can be radiated back into space,” explain Atmospheric scientist Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
“It is not yet possible to measure the defect directly, and the only practical way to estimate it is through an inventory of changes in energy.”
Trenberth and the Chinese Academy of Sciences atmospheric physicists Lijing Cheng reviewed data from all components of the climate system: land, ice, oceans and atmosphere between 2000 and 2019, to make an assessment of these changes.
Earth’s atmosphere reflects roughly a quarter of the energy it hits, unlike . the moon which takes the full effect of the sun’s energy, resulting in surface temperatures of around 100°C (212°F). The moon then absorbs most of this energy and is radiated back into space as infrared thermal radiation, more commonly known as heat.
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Again, it’s the atmosphere that changes this process here on Earth. Some molecules in our atmosphere capture that heat before it reaches space and continue to hold on to it. Unfortunately for us, these are the greenhouse gases, which have now covered the planet with a very warm blanket at the top of the atmosphere.
In their paper, the researchers explain that this extra trapped energy not only changes where it ends up, but also affects its surroundings on the way to its final destination.
“It is essential to understand the net energy gain, and how much and where the heat is redistributed within the Earth system,” Type. “How much heat can be transferred to where it can be cleared from the Earth by radiation to reduce temperature rise?”
While everyone has been mostly focused on increasing temperatures, this is just one product of that extra energy. Only 4 percent of it goes to raising global temperatures and another 3 percent goes to melting ice, Trenberth and Cheng found.
They found that the ocean absorbs nearly 93 percent, and we’re already seeing unpleasant consequences.
Although less than 1 percent of the excess energy circulates in our atmosphere, it is enough to increase the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, from droughts to floods.
However, increased weather turbulence may also be beneficial.
“These weather events drive energy and help the climate system get rid of energy by radiating it into space.” explain researchers.
Clouds and ice also help reflect solar radiation before it becomes long-wavelength heat entrapped by gases. But both reflective clouds and ice are reduced due to disturbances in this energy cycle.
Trenberth and Cheng say there is still a lot of information missing for a comprehensive model of the Earth system that accurately predicts specific outcomes beyond the short term. But by incorporating the Earth energy imbalance framework that takes into account every component of the Earth system, this can be improved.
“Modeling the Earth’s energy imbalance is challenging, relevant observations and their synthesis need improvements,” Concludes Cheng.
“Understanding how all forms of energy around the world are distributed and isolated or returned to space will give us a better understanding of our future.”
This research was published in Environmental Research Atmosphere.
