Heat Budget of The Earth

Heat Budget of the Earth
• Despite the fact that the earth is receiving heat energy from the sun since 4.5
billion years, it has not gone progressively warmer.
• This is because earth with its components such as land, water and atmosphere
has devised a mechanism with the help of which whatever energy being
incident on the earth from the sun goes back into the space.
• The heat received by the earth is mainly in two forms i.e. shortwaves
radiations from the sun and diffused radiations from the atmosphere. These
are incoming radiations.
Heat Radiations:
• The short or long wavelengths of the radiations released by any body depends upon its
temperature. Higher the temperature shorter will be the radiations.
• As the sun is very hot the major part of its emission is shortwave part of the spectrum
i.e. visible light and UV radiation.
• When this shortwave radiation reaches the earth, it is absorbed by the earth. Due to this
absorption earth’s temperature rises.
• Now earth at this point also releases radiations, however as earth’s temperature is much
lower than the sun, the radiations released are mostly longwave i.e. infrared,
microwaves etc.
• The shortwave radiations can penetrate atmosphere easily while the longwave
radiations being weak cannot penetrate earth’s atmosphere.
• This longwave radiations is thus absorbed by the atmospheric gases also known as Green
House Gases.
• Once absorbed they heat up the atmosphere and then send back further longwave
radiation towards the earth. This radiation released by the atmosphere towards the
earth is called as diffused radiation.
• This heat is released back by the earth in the form of longwave radiations.
These are outgoing radiations.
• On an average, the earth maintains a heat balance between this incoming and
outgoing radiations.
• Heat budget is a quantitative method which aims to study processes and
mechanisms that ensure energy balance of the earth’s atmosphere.
Fig. Heat Budget of the Earth
Calculation of the heat budget:

Let’s say total shortwave incoming radiations from the sun is 100 units. Total
immediate loss is,
1. Cloud and glacier albedo: 25 units
2. Reflection from the earth: 4 units
3. Loss of heat by dust particles: 6 units
Thus, the total heat lost as soon as it enters into earth’s atmosphere is 25+4+6=35
units. Ozone absorbs 15 units of total radiation which results into heating of the
stratospheric layer. This radiation also gets released into the space.
The total net heat received by the earth is 100-(35+15)=50 units
Now, the earth has to release this heat as well back into the space. It is as follows:
1. Latent heat: 20 units
2. Convection & turbulence: 15 units
3. Sensible heat: 10 units
4. Radiation loss: 5 units
The total heat lost by the earth now is, 20+15+10+5= 50 units.
While, the heat which is already lost due to cloud and ice albedo and ozone radiation
loss is 35+15= 50 units.
The total heat lost from the entire system is (20+15+10+5)+(35+15)= 100 units.
Thus, it can be said that all the radiations received by the earth is lost into the space.
This is the reason because of which the temperature of the earth remains constant
i.e. 15°C.
What are latent heat and sensible heat?
Latent Heat:
• The amount of heat released or absorbed by the body while changing its state without
changing its temperature is called latent heat.
• The body in any state, i.e., solid, liquid, or gaseous, has some molecules holding each
other with some force. This force that binds them together is highest in a solid medium,
while it is least in a gaseous medium.
• Whenever the body changes its state, in order to overcome this intermolecular force or
to supplement it, the heat has to get released or absorbed from the body.
• For example, while changing from liquid to gas, the energy must be absorbed to
overcome the intermolecular force and break free to move away from each other.
• Now, in this process it is expected that the temperature of the body will rise due to
absorption of heat, but because the body has expanded as well, the overall heat will get
distributed and the temperature will remain the same.
Sensible Heat:
• Sensible heat is the type of heat that when added to or removed from the body, the
temperature increases or decreases, respectively, but the body does not change its
phase.
• Thus, it is the type of heat that can be felt or measured whenever a body absorbs or
releases it, unlike latent heat.
• For example, when we heat up the vessel the temperature of the vessel increases as it
absorbs sensible heat.
• It is called ‘sensible’ because it can be sensed by touch or measured by a thermometer.
Evaluation:
• The model is oversimplified as it does not take into account the diffused
radiations or counter radiations.
• A large portion of the heat released by the earth is returned back by the
atmospheric gases like water vapors, carbon dioxide, etc. after absorbing
them. This is called as diffused radiation while this mechanism is called as
greenhouse effect which maintains the temperature of the lower atmosphere.
• The heat budget mentioned above is applicable for the earth as a whole,
averaged over all places. However, this calculation varies significantly
according to the latitudes,
o For lower latitudes: Incoming radiations > Outgoing radiations
o For higher latitudes: Outgoing radiations > Incoming radiations
• One may think that how come outgoing radiations are greater than incoming
radiations. This can be achieved by meridional heat transfer from lower to
higher latitudes which is possible by atmospheric circulations and ocean
currents.
Fig. Meridional Heat Transfer
Human influence on heat budget

Human influence on the local and global heat budget is so significant that it has
increased the frequency and intensity of the calamities significantly. Some of its
impact can be studied as follows,
1. At local level:
a. Urbanization: Increased concretization has led to increased heat
absorption capacity of the earth, reduced albedo, increased urban heat
island effects.
b. Deforestation and land use changes: Removing trees for agriculture,
urbanization and industrialization has altered the heat budget as
vegetation plays important role in cooling the local environment
through transpiration.
c. Energy consumption and heat emission: Local power plants, vehicles,
industries emit considerable amount of heat thus causing local
temperature increase.
d. Water management: As water surfaces have different thermal
properties than the land surfaces, changes in water bodies, irrigation
practices, etc. can impact local heat budget.
e. Agriculture: Intensive agriculture can influence local temperatures
through changes in land cover and through excessive utilization of
resources. For e.g. irrigated lands can have cooling effect in hot climate
due to evapotranspiration.
2. At global Level:
a. Greenhouse gas emission: These gases are responsible for trapping
atmospheric terrestrial heat and maintain the temperature of the
earth. However if their concentration increases they lead to change in
temperature, precipitation and weather pattern. Some of these gases
are,
i. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Released through burning of fossil fuel,
deforestation, urbanization etc.
ii. Methane (CH4): Released while production of coal, oil and
natural gas. Wetlands, Paddy fields, livestock also release it.
iii. Nitrous Oxide (N2O): Agricultural and industrial activities and
combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.
b. Changes in land use: Deforestation, increased agriculture and
urbanization on forest land reduces planet’s ability to absorb CO 2, thus
hampers earth’s heat regulating mechanism.
c. Aerosols and Particulate Matter: These are released from industries,
vehicular emissions, biomass burning, etc. They can have cooling effect
by reflecting sunlight back into the space. Also, some of the particulates
such as carbon (soot), can absorb the sunlight and warm the
atmosphere.

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Heat Budget of The Earth

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Heat Budget of the Earth

Calculation of the heat budget:

What are latent heat and sensible heat?

Fig. Meridional Heat Transfer

Human influence on heat budget

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