Does the Earth accumulate the energy it receives from the Sun, or does it reflect all of it back into space?

Question

I understand that the sun gives energy primarily in the form of sunlight, which contains various wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. If the earth absorbs some of the energy, does the earth’s “total energy” accumulate?

In: Planetary Science

Answer 1

If the Earth were in equilibrium, the energy radiated into space would equal the energy received. However, the Earth is significantly out of balance, sending less energy into space than is received. The extra energy accumulates as heat in the land, air, and especially the oceans.

[https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/basic-page/earths-energy-budget](https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/basic-page/earths-energy-budget)