Atmospheric radiation is critically important to understand because it affects both weather (for example, heating of the land surface by sunlight drives the formation of convective clouds) and climate (for example, long term changes in the amount of radiation reflected or absorbed by aerosols, clouds, or gases may …

INCOMING SOLAR RADIATION Larger aerosol particles in the atmosphere interact with and absorb some of the radiation, causing the atmosphere to warm. The heat generated by this absorption is emitted as longwave infrared radiation, some of which radiates out into space.

the atmosphere, which contains all of the planet’s air. These spheres are closely connected. Events can occur naturally, such as an earthquake or a hurricane, or they can be caused by humans, such as an oil spill or air pollution.

About 23 percent of incoming solar energy is absorbed in the atmosphere by water vapor, dust, and ozone, and 48 percent passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. Thus, about 71 percent of the total incoming solar energy is absorbed by the Earth system.

The resulting imbalance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing thermal radiation will likely cause Earth to heat up over the next century, accelerating the melting polar ice caps, causing sea levels to rise and increasing the probability of more violent global weather patterns.

Researchers have shown that UV radiation affects climate through direct heating and the production and destruction of ozone in the stratosphere, which then leads to regional effects at Earth’s surface through a complex chain of mechanisms.

Weather on Earth is caused by heat from the sun and movement of the air. All weather happens in the lower layer of Earth’s atmosphere, which is a layer of gases surrounding Earth. Warm air rises, and cold air then rushes in underneath to replace it. This movement of air is what we call wind.

If we did not have changes in weather patterns at all, we’d be in trouble. Think about it: Weather patterns start with the Sun. The Sun’s rays beat down on our atmosphere, dumping lots of energy (which our atmosphere interprets as heat) onto our planet.