If there were more greenhouse gases added to the earth atmosphere, what would happen to the energy balance at the top of the atmosphere?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider how adding greenhouse gases affects the energy balance at the top of the atmosphere. 
Option 1: 'Energy in would be greater than energy out' — This is not strictly the long-term steady-state result, but immediately after adding more greenhouse gases, the outgoing infrared radiation is reduced while the incoming solar energy remains roughly the same, causing an imbalance where energy in exceeds energy out. In other words, there is a transient period where energy in > energy out, which is why the planet warms until a new balance is reached. 
Option 2: 'The amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth would increase' — This statement is inaccurate. Greenhouse gases affect the trapping of infrared radiation (heat) emitted by the surface, not the amount of shortwave solar radiation reaching the surface. The solar input largely depends on distance from the sun and cloud cover, not directly on greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. 
Option 3: 'The amount of heat lost to space would reduce' — This is true. With more greenhouse gases, the atmosphere becomes more effective at absorbing infrared radiation emitted by the surface, so less heat escapes directly to space, at least in the infrared window. 
Option 4: 'Energy in would be less than energy out' — This is incorrect for the same reason option 1 is only conditionally correct in the immediate sense; adding greenhouse gases does not increase energy leaving the planet, it tends to reduce the energy lost to space, not increase it, so energy in would not be less than energy out. 
In summary, the core idea is that extra greenhouse gases hinder the escape of heat to space, creating an energy imbalance where more energy is retained than released in the short term, and this reduces the rate of heat loss to space while not increasing the incoming solar radiation. The statements that correctly capture this are that energy in would be greater than energy out (initially, before a new equilibrium) and that the amount of heat lost to space would reduce; the other options misstate the effects on solar input or on the direction of the energy flux.

CLMTGR5001_002_2025_3 - Dynamics of Climate Variability and Chan Quiz 2c Week 2 Lecture 3

If there were more greenhouse gases added to the earth atmosphere, what would happen to the energy balance at the top of the atmosphere?

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CLMTGR5001_002_2025_3 - Dynamics of Climate Variability and Chan Quiz 2c Week 2 Lecture 3

If there were more greenhouse gases added to the earth atmosphere, what would happen to the energy balance at the top of the atmosphere?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Increased heat from the runaway greenhouse effect evaporates oceans, producing more greenhouse heating. This happened to _____ and might happen to _____ someday.

When an atmosphere layer is added to the energy balance model, the surface temperature of the earth …

Atmospheric greenhouse effect means that the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb the ...

The Earth’s surface temperature predicted by the energy balance model is too cold compare to reality because …

能量平衡模型预测的地球表面温度与现实相比太冷，因为……

Atmospheric greenhouse effect means that the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb the ...

When an atmosphere layer is added to the energy balance model, the surface temperature of the earth …

When including both the albedo and atmospheric greenhouse effect, and assuming the atmosphere is a blackbody, the energy balance model predicts the earth surface temperature to be…

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Making Your Study Simpler

Increased heat from the runaway greenhouse effect evaporates oceans, producing more greenhouse heating. This happened to _ and might happen to _ someday.