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How much of our sun's energy is actually absorbed by the surface of the earth?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
The Sun's total energy crosses a sphere with a radius of 149.6 million km at the distance of the Earth, and the area of that sphere is 2.812E17 square kilometres. From that the Earth intercepts a circular area with a radius of 6178 km, with an area of 1.2E8 square km.
So the maximum possible proportion of the Sun's energy intercepted by the Earth is 1.2E8 / 2.18E17 which is 5.5E-10 or .000000055%.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe Earth's overall average albedo ... the part of the Sun's energy that strikes
the Earth AND sinks in ... is 65 to 70 percent.
But to me, the number that's shocking is: How much of the Sun's overall energy output
ever strikes the Earth:
THAT number is a little less than 0.00000005 percent !
The rest of the Sun's output simply goes in other directions, and misses us.
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What percentage of the sun energy that reaches earth is absorbed by earth surface?
About 50 percent of the Sun's incoming energy is absorbed by the Earth's surface. In addition, about 9 percent is reflected.About 22 percent of the Sun's incoming energy is reflected by clouds and the atmosphere.About 19 percent of the Sun's incoming energy is absorbed by clouds and the atmosphere.
Light energy that is absorbed by Earth's surface is changed into what?
heat, unless it bounces off earth back into space
What would happen if the layers of gas around the earth absorbed all the suns energy?
If layers of gas around the earth absorbed all of the suns energy, the climate would generally be much cooler. If the gasses trapped the sunlight prior to exposure, the energy of the sun would never penetrate to the ground surface.
What percentage of the sun's energy that reaches the Earth is absorbed by ozone- clouds- and atmospheric gases?
By definition of "absorbed", on average, the answer is zero. If it is absorbed by layers above the Earth, it does not reach Earth. Very little UV-B or more energetic radiation reaches earth's surface, due to the actions of ozone, oxygen and nitrogen.
How much solar energy is reflected by the atmosphere and earth's surface?
About 6% of incoming solar radiation is reflected back into space from the atmosphere and 4% by the surface of the earth.Incoming solar radiation: 100%Reflected by the atmosphere: 6% : Absorbed by the atmosphere: 16%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 78%Reflected by clouds: 20% : Absorbed by clouds: 3%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 55%Reflected by the earth's surface: 4% : Absorbed by the earth's surface (lands and oceans): 51%
What happens to that energy from the sun that is absorbed by earth surface?
Energy from the sun that is absorbed by the Earth's surface is reflected back into the atmosphere or absorbed by land and water and transformed into heat.
Is more energy from the sun absorbed or reflected by Earth's surface?
Absorbed
Is energy absorbed or reflected when the sun's rays strike the earth's surface?
Energy is being absorbed AND being reflected when the sun's ray strike the Earth's surface.
Most solar energy that reaches earth's atmosphere is absorbed by whtat?
absorbed by earth's surface
When the Sun's rays strikes Earth's surface energy is reflected or absorbed?
absorbed
What happens to the energy from the sun that is absorbed. by earths surface?
Energy from the sun that is absorbed by the Earth's surface is reflected back into the atmosphere or absorbed by land and water and transformed into heat.
When the suns rays strike earth's surface energy is?
Absorbed
When the sun rays strike the earth's surface energy is?
Absorbed
What can happen to energy as it hits Earth's surface?
It can be either absorbed or reflected.
What percentage of the sun's energy that reaches earth is absorbed by the earth's surface?
About 50 percent of the Sun's incoming energy is absorbed by the Earth's surface. In addition, about 9 percent is reflected.About 22 percent of the Sun's incoming energy is reflected by clouds and the atmosphere.About 19 percent of the Sun's incoming energy is absorbed by clouds and the atmosphere.
What percentage of the suns energy that reaches the earth is absorbed by earth surface?
About 50 percent of the Sun's incoming energy is absorbed by the Earth's surface. In addition, about 9 percent is reflected.About 22 percent of the Sun's incoming energy is reflected by clouds and the atmosphere.About 19 percent of the Sun's incoming energy is absorbed by clouds and the atmosphere.
When earth receives energy from sun?
The 70% of the sun's energy that is absorbed by the earth's surface, differences in solar energy that the earth receives across the globe.
