the sun is constantly hitting the earth with many terrawatts of energy and yet the temperature on earth is relatively stable. Where does all this energy go?

Question

Does the earth also emit a comparable amount of energy somehow?

In: 3

Answer 1

The Earth has an atmosphere which regulates temperature and gives us a relatively stable warm climate. If the Earth didn’t have an atmosphere, it would have no way of trapping heat. It would be scorching hot during the day while the sunlight hits the surface, but frozen at night when you’re not in direct sunlight (like what’s happening with the planet Mercury).

Without something to trap the heat, it’s basically lost to space very quickly once you’re out of direct sunlight.

But if the atmosphere was too thick, then it would trap *too much* heat, and the climate would be impossibly hot day and night (like on Venus).

Answer 2

The Earth has an atmosphere which regulates temperature and gives us a relatively stable warm climate. If the Earth didn’t have an atmosphere, it would have no way of trapping heat. It would be scorching hot during the day while the sunlight hits the surface, but frozen at night when you’re not in direct sunlight (like what’s happening with the planet Mercury).

Without something to trap the heat, it’s basically lost to space very quickly once you’re out of direct sunlight.

But if the atmosphere was too thick, then it would trap *too much* heat, and the climate would be impossibly hot day and night (like on Venus).