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Greenhouse Effect

What you are seeing: a 3D Earth in radiative balance with the Sun. Solar shortwave (cyan) streams in, the surface re-emits as IR (red), and a fraction of the IR is trapped by the atmospheric greenhouse layer. The equilibrium surface temperature T_surf is set by the balance. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom

Figure 1. 3D Earth + Sun in radiative balance. Cyan photons = incoming visible; red = outgoing IR; trapped IR re-absorbed by atmospheric layer warms surface. Right: T_surf = T_eff (2/(1+tau))^(1/4) curve over tau_LW. Method: single-layer grey-atmosphere energy balance; log-CO2 parametrisation tuned to 3 K / doubling.
presetcurrent
CO2 (ppm)420
albedo A0.30
photon density80

WHAT TO TRY

  • Vary each control and watch the rail readouts respond.
  • Compare the diagnostic plot against the live scene.