About how much of the solar energy that reaches earth passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface of earth?

Answer 1

Of the Sun's energy reaching Earth's atmosphere, just under 60% reaches the Earth's surface.

Only a small fraction of the Sun's energy reaches Earth, of course.

In fact it's only about 0.000000045 percent.

So, the answer to the question is: about 0.000000025 percent.

Answer 2

Roughly 70-90% of the solar energy that reaches Earth is absorbed by the surface, while the remaining percentage is reflected back into space or absorbed by the atmosphere. The atmosphere acts as a filter, absorbing some of the incoming solar radiation before it reaches the surface.

Answer 3

what you want to know: about 50% is absorbed by Earth's surface

other stuff: 30% is reflected by earths surface

20% is absorbed by ozone, clouds, and atmospheric gases

and

25% is scattered and reflected by clouds and air

where i got the info from

Hold Science & Technology Weather and Climate

Hold, Rinehart and Winston

A Hardcourt Education Company

Orlando- Austin- New York- San Diego- Toronto- London

Answer 4

The clouds, water vapor and ozone absorb about 23% of solar energy coming into the earth's atmosphere. 25% of incoming solar energy is transferred from the surface into the atmosphere. An approximate 53% total transfer of incoming solar energy is absorbed by the earth's surface elements.

Answer 5

45%

My answer is: "on average about 58 percent" and that's from an authoritative source.

(The surface reflects about 9%, so almost 50% is absorbed by the surface.)

Answer 6

This varies over time, both by season and over longer periods. Heat and light tend to absorb better in some materials (generally darker) than others. Ice ages become self-feeding, as heat and light reflect off the bright snow and reflect more of the sun's energy back out into space. Greenhouse gases, by contrast, trap more of the heat from the sun, causing the atmosphere to warm.

The total amount of energy received by Earth radiated by the Sun is estimated at 173 Petawatts (a petawatt is a quadrillion [or million billion] watts). There is another 1 petawatt or so of other energy including geothermal (volcanoes, etc.), tidal energy from the sun and moon, etc. Anyhow, of the sun's energy, about 70% is absorbed by the planet, on average. Snow and glaciers, and white cloudtops increase the albedo or brightness of the Earth and cause more of the sun's energy to reflect back into space whilst darker material (such as ash clouds) or more energy-absorbent material (such as greenhouse gases in the atmosphere) causes the Earth to retain more of the sun's energy.

Answer 7

45% of the solar radiation that reaches earth is absorbed by the surface of the earth.

• 25% is reflected by clouds.
• 25% is absorbed by clouds and atmosphere.
• 5% is reflected by ice and snow on the earth's surface.

Answer 8

From a previous question - see link, about 2 billionths

Answer 9

About 51%

174 PW (peta Watts) of energy impinge the Earth each year.

89 PW are absorbed by land and oceans

.

(See Sources and related links below for a diagram)

Answer 10

Half of the solar energy or 50 percent.