Short · Earth science
Why does the ground stay warm?
Raise one ideal layer’s infrared absorption and follow energy at the surface, in the layer and at the top of the model.
Try it yourself
Opens Greenhouse Balance. Change the same thing yourself.
Transcript
Why does the ground stay warm? Sunlight crosses a simple atmosphere and warms the surface. Now raise infrared absorption. The surface emits infrared upward. The layer absorbs some, then emits it both up and down. Watch the model’s surface temperature rise until outgoing energy to space matches incoming sunlight. Energy keeps moving; the model settles into radiative balance. The Sun and reflectivity stay fixed. Try it yourself at Explainer Tools dot com.