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

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When an atmosphere layer is added to the energy balance model, the way energy is transported and trapped changes in a way that tends to raise the surface temperature. 
Option 1: 'increases' — This aligns with the greenhouse effect concept: adding an atmosphere with greenhouse gases reduces longwave (infrared) radiation escaping to space, causing more energy to be retained near the surface and thus warming the surface temperature. It also alters the radiative equilibrium, often leading to a higher surface temperature for the same solar input. 
Option 2: 'decreases' — This would imply that adding atmosphere makes the planet lose more heat or reduce the surface energy, which contradicts the basic greenhouse physics where added greenhouse layers trap heat rather than enhance cooling. 
Option 3: 'remains the same' — While a simplistic energy balance might suggest invariance, in a more realistic model including an atmospheric layer changes the partitioning and the effective emissivity of the system, typically changing the surface temperature instead of keeping it unchanged. If the atmosphere is treated as a blackbody layer or as a medium with greenhouse absorption, the balance shifts toward higher surface temperatures rather than exact constancy.

In summary, the introduction of an atmospheric layer modifies the radiative transfer, reduces outgoing longwave radiation more effectively, and thereby tends to increase the surface temperature under a given solar forcing, rather than decrease it or leave it unchanged.

CLMTGR5001_002_2025_3 - Dynamics of Climate Variability and Chan PRACTICE QUIZ: Week 2 Lecture 3

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

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