- #1
stfaivus
- 21
- 3
The wiki article on the greenhouse effect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect) has a top illustration which shows the flow of heat and energy (Watts per meter squared) between outer space, the atmosphere, and Earth's surface. The illustrations shows that of the 519 in the atmosphere, 195 (38%) goes up into space and 324 (62%) goes down to earth. The article writes "the atmosphere radiates energy both upwards and downwards; the part radiated downwards is absorbed by the Earth's surface." I believe the infrared radiation absorbed and emitted by the greenhouse gases goes half up into space and half down to earth. Does the heat then mainly go down because up is empty space and down is thicker air. This is weird to me because I am used to heated air rising?