Sources and sinks of radiative energy from 30 to 90 km

Abstract

Abstract The absorption of solar radiation and the exchange of long‐wave terrestrial radiation are computed for the 30 to 90 km region for all latitudes using the climatological mean temperatures given by Murgatroyd (1957). Over most of the earth's surface (approximately 30° in the winter hemisphere to 60° in the summer hemisphere) there is a close approach to radiative equilibrium at all the levels considered. In the polar regions, however, there is a significant departure from radiative equilibrium with excess heating during the summer and excess cooling during the winter.