The earth's energy is in balance, meaning there is about as much going out as there is coming in. This keeps the earth's climate roughly in equilibrium. If there were more coming in than release, this would invariably warm the earth's atmosphere.
If none of the solar energy that hits the Earth was reflected, the Earth would begin to heat up.
However, in the real world there are "negative feedback loops"; in this case, the warming Earth would cause more water in the lakes and oceans to be evaporated, and the extra water vapor would become clouds, which would then reflect sunlight back into space.
It's all an enormous balancing act.
if the earth becomes 4oc warmer
If the suns light was blocked from the Earth all of our plants and animals and even humans would die. Because, without sunlight plants can't produce their food which means animals cannot eat them (neither can humans) and without animals we could not eat beef, steak, chicken etc. And without plants we would be unable to make pasta, bread etc. or eat any vegetables or fruit. And without cows we would not have cakes, milk, yogurt, ice cream etc. Therefore everything on the planet would die.
The days would become dim and cold. Summer would be shorter and less warm, Winter would be
longer and colder. Growing seasons would be shorter, and vegetation less hearty. The polar ice caps
would grow.
It would get too hot. As it is, about 35% of the Sun's energy that strikes the Earth is reflected away, from clouds or ice. If that were absorbed, the Earth really WOULD heat up!
But all the talk of "global warming" is a matter of fractions of one percent. If all the houses in the USA were to paint their roofs white instead of having gray shingles, it would reduce global warming. And if the roads were concrete instead of black asphalt, that would probably reflect too MUCH energy away.
it means that the sun has blown up and we will die
Sunlight gets absorbed, scattered, reflected, and transmitted through the atmosphere. Almost all of the ultraviolet component gets absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere. About half of the radiation gets absorbed or scattered and reflected in the troposphere. The remainder passes through, getting absorbed by the earth's surface.
The atmosphere is heated chiefly by radiation from Earth's surface rather than by direct solar radiation because about 50 percent of the solar energy is absorbed at Earth's surface. 30 percent is reflected back to space. 20 percent is absorbed by clouds and the atmosphere's gases.
This is called the "albedo." It is the ratio of reflected light compared to incident light, and depends on the surface material and its condition (e.g. snow, grassland).
Over half is either reflected, deflected or absorbed as it enters our atmosphere. Of the remaining 47% that hits our planet, most is reflected as visible light and passes through the atmosphere and out into space. Some energy is absorbed by the planet and released as infrared radiation. A small portion of this is absorbed by water vapor and CO2 and is released at night to keep the planet warm and alive.
It is reflected and sent back into the atmosphere. Sometimes it is absorbed by clouds.
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%
Solar radiation that is not reflected is absorbed by clouds, the atmosphere and 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%Source: (NASA)
About 26% of incoming solar radiation is reflected back into space from the clouds and atmosphere. Another 16% is absorbed by the atmosphere.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%
All three.Incoming solar radiation: 100%Reflected or scattered 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%
This absorbed energy is then re-radiated as heat
About 19% of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by clouds and the atmosphere.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%Source: (NASA)
This isn't the best answer, but it starts with 100% radiation, 25% is reflected back by clouds and other particles, 20% is absorbed by particles in the atmosphere, 50% of radiation reaches and is absorbed by Earth's surface, and 5% of radiation from the sun is reflected by land and sea surface.
the thingy hits the earht and everybody dies !!! The radiation will either be absorbed or reflected.
90% of radiation reaching the surface of the earth is absorbed! and 10% is reflected into space.
UV light is absorbed by the ozone layer. It is the harmful part of sun's radiation.
Some is absorbed by molecules in the atmosphere (such as ultraviolet absorption by ozone), some is absorbed on the surface, and some is reflected by clouds or the surface back into space. The surface will re-radiate much of the absorbed solar radiation as infrared (thermal) radiation, and some of this is then absorbed by atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.
It can reflect, absorb or scatter off the object.