4 ms·
Minus the tiny fraction embodied in global temperature increases, all of it. It's the same reason that the Earth radiates exactly as much energy as it receives
by Baeocystin 3y ago
Minus the tiny fraction embodied in global temperature increases, all of it.
It's the same reason that the Earth radiates exactly as much energy as it receives from the sun, just a larger number of lower energy, higher entropy photons. What the sun really provides is a source of low entropy.
- detourdog 3y agoWouldn't the earth actually release more energy than it absorbs? My thinking is that the energy that got absorb in other processes such a photosynthesis is a delayed release. The energy released must have some time delay. Maybe it all averages out overtime. Difficult problem I wonder if it is worth answering.
- Baeocystin 3y agoWell, if we wanted to really get in to the details, the Earth is releasing more energy than it receives from the sun simply because it is also cooling. The core grows by about a few mm a year because of this, IIRC. With a brief, 60 million year time frame exception during the Carboniferous, though, the energy stored in life processes is a wash. Assembly and decay are a net balance, and life itself is a strong driver of entropy, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if, on the whole, the biosphere is a net energy sink.
- detourdog 3y ago>>Well, if we wanted to really get in to the details, Of course we want to get into the details. I can see there are many reasons why the earth maybe releasing more than it absorbs.
- Baeocystin 3y ago>Of course we want to get into the details. ...and this is why I like posting here! I did find a reference to heat loss from the Earth itself- 87 milliwatts per square meter. Core solidification is slower than I remembered, about 1cm/1k years. https://phys.org/news/2020-12-earth.html https://phys.org/news/2020-12-earth.html
- Brusco_RF 3y agoTo nitpick your nitpick, the earth radiates more energy than it receives because it is very radioactive. And because it is cooling.
- Baeocystin 3y agoLove it. Yes, if the Earth wasn't radioactive, it would have already cooled to a much greater degree than it already has!