Greenhouse effect
21% of energy received from sun is re-emitted as IR radiation by oceans & continents
- About 1/3 of that IR radiation, 6% of the original 100% received from the sun, escapes directly into space
- Atmosphere absorbs the remaining 2/3 of the IR radiation emitted at surface; 15% of the original 100% received from the sun is absorbed & stored by the atmosphere in a process that we call the greenhouse effect