The Earth's Radiation Balance
Provided by: King's Centre for Visualization in Science|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Data, Graphs, and Maps
Subjects: Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors:
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This interactive resource provides information on the balance of solar radiation and thermal radiation on Earth.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The information is written in a format that is easy to understand.
- The resource includes interactive questions and provides students with immediate feedback on their answers.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should have some background knowledge of the concepts of solar radiation and albedo.
- The graphics in this resource look a little dated, but the interface is easy to navigate.
Differentiation
- Students could work through this resource in pairs or individually.
- Teachers could assign the four sections one at a time for homework, or individual work at the beginning of class so that students have some foundational knowledge before the lesson.
The resource is suitable to teach energy balance in the earth-atmospheric-ocean system. Educators should note that incoming solar radiation reaching the earth's surface does not reflect into space, especially if it radiates on a black body, it re-emits in the form of Infrared radiation as a longwave. The radiation that remains supplies heat at night in the form of terrestrial energy, thereby not allowing our nights to be too cold. Only incoming solar radiation that is reflected in space reaches light surfaces (reflectors such as clouds, snow ice, and the atmosphere). There is a contradiction in the aspect that incoming radiation, when it reaches the soil, reflects solar radiation to space. Soil is a black body (100% emitter, it conducts and transfers heat downward the soil and at the surface). Other aspects of this resource are suitable.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
