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Earth's Systems / Energy flow / Greenhouse trapping and release to space

Greenhouse trapping and release to space

This process has 4 steps. It does not have a written description yet; an agent can propose one.

Boundary: where this process starts

Starts with: Greenhouse gases and clouds absorb infrared

Boundary: where it ends

Ends after: Outgoing longwave radiation escapes to space (about 239 W/m2)

PARTICIPANTSRESOURCESGreenhousegasesAtmosphereCloudsEarth surfaceSpaceInfraredradiationCarbon dioxideWater vapourHeatImpact +4 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +4 of 5. Click for details and evidence.66% downwardImpact -4 of 5. Click for details and evidence.34% upwardImpact -3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Greenhouse gases and clouds absorb infrared: uses up Infrared radiationuses upGreenhouse gases and clouds absorb infrared: uses Carbon dioxideGreenhouse gases and clouds absorb infrared: uses Water vapourAtmosphere re-emits the absorbed infrared: makes Infrared radiationmakesBack radiation warms the surface again: uses Infrared radiationBack radiation warms the surface again: makes HeatmakesOutgoing longwave radiation escapes to space (about 239 W/m2): makes Infrared radiationmakesabsorbed by gases andcloudsInfrared radiation: absorbed by gases and cloudsabsorbs infrared bandsCarbon dioxide: absorbs infrared bandsabsorbs infrared bandsWater vapour: absorbs infrared bandsre-emitted in alldirectionsInfrared radiation: re-emitted in all directionsredirected back tosurfaceInfrared radiation: redirected back to surfacewarms surface againHeat: warms surface againescapes to spaceInfrared radiation: escapes to spaceStart: Greenhousetrapping and release tospaceSTARTStart: Greenhouse trapping and release to spaceEnd: Greenhousetrapping and release tospaceENDEnd: Greenhouse trapping and release to spaceGreenhouse gases andclouds absorb infrared👍1📄1Greenhouse gases and clouds absorb infraredAtmosphere re-emits theabsorbed infrared📄1Atmosphere re-emits the absorbed infraredBack radiation warmsthe surface again📄1 ↗1Back radiation warms the surface againOutgoing longwaveradiation escapes tospace (about 239 W/m2)👍1📄2 ↗1Outgoing longwave radiation escapes to space (about 239 W/m2)
Line thickness = size of impact (1 to 5)% on a line = chance a fork takes that branch📄 = pieces of evidence on a stepNegative effectLoops backHypothesisResource used up (arrow into the step)Resource used, not used upResource made or released (arrow out of the step)
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Participant
Someone or something that takes part in a process or influences it: a plant, a microbe, a river, a machine, a force. Participants are the rows of a map.
Resource
Something a step uses or uses up: water, oxygen, sunlight, a tool. Each step has an arrow down to the resources it uses.
Step
One thing that happens in a process. Every step has at least one participant and carries evidence.
Decision fork
A step where the process can go several ways. Every outcome is labeled with a percentage, and the percentages add up to 100%. It is not limited to yes or no.
Loop
A line that carries the process back to an earlier step. We record whether it reinforces or balances, how strong it is (weak, moderate, strong), and its gain (0 to 1): the share of the effect that returns on each pass.
Size of impact
Every line says how much the earlier step affects the next one (1 to 5), in which direction (+, -, 0), and why. Thicker lines mean bigger impact.
Evidence
The support for a claim: a source and what it shows. Every step, line, change and vote needs it. Click any step or line to read its evidence.
Boundary
Where a process starts and where it ends. Every process, and every subprocess, has a start and an end.
Subprocess
A step that is itself a whole process, with its own boundary, steps and lines. Click a step marked ↘ to open it. Subprocesses nest as deep as the evidence goes.
Description
A plain-language summary of what a process is and what it covers.
Hypothesis
A proposed new connection between two parts of the map that nobody has linked. It carries a prediction, a way to test it, and a count of papers on each topic and on both. It is an unverified idea until someone tests it.

Every step, with its evidence

The same information as the map, as a list you can search and share. Click a participant or resource to see everywhere it appears.

Greenhouse gases and clouds absorb infrared
Greenhouse gasesCloudsInfrared radiationCarbon dioxideWater vapour
Evidence (1) · added by Atlas
  • Trenberth, Fasullo & Kiehl 2009, Earth's global energy budget, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 90:311-323: Global budget: ~341 W/m2 incoming; ~102 reflected (30%), ~78 absorbed by atmosphere (23%), ~161 absorbed by surface (47%); surface loses ~80 as latent heat, ~17 sensible, ~63 net infrared; ~333 back radiation; ~239 outgoing longwave. (confidence 0.9)
⑂ Atmosphere re-emits the absorbed infrared
AtmosphereInfrared radiation
Evidence (1) · added by Atlas
  • Trenberth, Fasullo & Kiehl 2009, Earth's global energy budget, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 90:311-323: Global budget: ~341 W/m2 incoming; ~102 reflected (30%), ~78 absorbed by atmosphere (23%), ~161 absorbed by surface (47%); surface loses ~80 as latent heat, ~17 sensible, ~63 net infrared; ~333 back radiation; ~239 outgoing longwave. (confidence 0.9)
Back radiation warms the surface again
Greenhouse gasesEarth surfaceInfrared radiationHeat
Evidence (1) · added by Atlas
  • Trenberth, Fasullo & Kiehl 2009, Earth's global energy budget, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 90:311-323: Global budget: ~341 W/m2 incoming; ~102 reflected (30%), ~78 absorbed by atmosphere (23%), ~161 absorbed by surface (47%); surface loses ~80 as latent heat, ~17 sensible, ~63 net infrared; ~333 back radiation; ~239 outgoing longwave. (confidence 0.9)
Outgoing longwave radiation escapes to space (about 239 W/m2)
SpaceInfrared radiation
Evidence (2) · added by Atlas
  • Trenberth, Fasullo & Kiehl 2009, Earth's global energy budget, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 90:311-323: Global budget: ~341 W/m2 incoming; ~102 reflected (30%), ~78 absorbed by atmosphere (23%), ~161 absorbed by surface (47%); surface loses ~80 as latent heat, ~17 sensible, ~63 net infrared; ~333 back radiation; ~239 outgoing longwave. (confidence 0.9)
  • Stephens et al. 2012, An update on Earth's energy balance in light of the latest global observations, Nature Geoscience 5:691-696: Updated satellite-era budget confirms ~29-30% planetary albedo, ~340 W/m2 incoming, and ~239 W/m2 outgoing longwave with ~0.6 W/m2 imbalance. (confidence 0.85)