The energy balance over land and oceans: an assessment based on direct observations and CMIP5 climate models

Abstract

surface albedo and emissivity, we infer a surface absorbed solar and net thermal radiation of 136 and -66 Wm -2 over land, and 170 and -53 Wm -2 over oceans, respectively. The surface net radiation is thus estimated at 70 Wm -2 over land and 117 Wm -2 over oceans, which may impose additional constraints on the poorly known sensible/latent heat flux magnitudes, estimated here near 32/38 Wm -2 over land, and 16/100 Wm -2 over oceans. Estimated uncertainties are on the order of 10 and 5 Wm -2 for most surface and TOA fluxes, respectively. By combining these surface budgets with satellite-determined TOA budgets we quantify the atmospheric energy budgets as residuals (including ocean to land transports), and revisit the global mean energy balance.