The flow of water in the water cycle is similar to the flow of energy in the energy balance for the Earth.

This is a modified version of the 2008 Kiehl, Trenberth paper that discusses the Earth's energy budget. It has also been used in many other forums. It and the 1997 version (shown in the Science Content) are perhaps the most commonly used graphic for the Earth's energy balance. See the Science Content for a discussion of why it has been modified from it's original form.

I am using the pictures from the NASA Earth Observatory. Due to rounding and such, different sources have slightly different values for each energy stream. The TSI% in the chart is the comparable values to this graphic.

The Earth Absorbed energy is the key part for keeping the Earth warm. It is that energy that provides the energy for the GHE.

Convection and Thermals are commonly used by different sources. The TSI% in the chart is the comparable values to this graphic.

75% of the energy that is absorbed by the surface is then transferred to the atmosphere. Only the 25% in the infrared 'window' escapes directly to space.

Final contribution of greenhouse gases to the total 23 W/m2 of RHT to the atmosphere.

The 6 main components of the Earth's Greenhouse Effect. The total energy for them is the 120 W/m2. GHG is energy absorbed by specific greenhouse gases.

Only 5% of the total energy is absorbed by greenhouse gases. Most of the thermal radiation from the surface escapes directly into space. The atmosphere as a whole is ALWAYS losing energy to space. Without the constant flow of energy upwards from the surface, the atmosphere would quickly cool down. The TSI% in the chart is the comparable values to this graphic.

The Earth behaves opposite of the Total Solar Insolation because the different hemispheres respond differently. In effect the Earth has two separate energy balances and oscillates between the two of them.

The magnitude of energy changes and the associated change in global temperature.

Kiehl, Trenberth 1997 Energy Balance. Also used by the IPCC.

Compare this to the one provided by NASA and the result is nearly identical. Both Keihl-Trenberth (1997, 2008) energy balances substitute radiative flux for net heat transfer. The numbers here are based on the 1997 paper.

NASA shows the net heat transfer only. The percentages here align almost exactly with the numbers I extracted from the KT08 paper. Yes, this picture is in there twice.

Buried in a table the KT08 paper shows the correct value for the LW RHT from the surface, but they failed to show that value in the main diagram.

Unmodified KT08 energy balance. It shows the Earth's surface losing 306% more energy to the atmosphere than it gets from the Sun. This misdirection is accomplished by using radiative flux instead of energy transfer.