Input is received in the form of which type of energy?

Input is received in the form of which type of energy?

• A. Long-wave infrared radiation
• B. Ultraviolet radiation
• C. Short-wave solar energy
• D. Microwave radiation

Answer: (C)

The energy input to the Earth–atmosphere system comes from the Sun, and most of it is in the short-wavelength end of the spectrum, i.e., short-wave solar energy. This is the visible portion of sunlight that travels through space, passes the atmosphere with relatively little obstruction, and warms the surface and lower atmosphere. After being absorbed, the Earth re-radiates heat back into space as long-wave infrared radiation, which is why that form is not the input but the output of the system. Ultraviolet radiation is part of the solar spectrum but represents only a smaller fraction of the total energy reaching Earth, and microwave radiation from the Sun is not a major component of the incoming energy.

The energy input to the Earth–atmosphere system comes from the Sun, and most of it is in the short-wavelength end of the spectrum, i.e., short-wave solar energy. This is the visible portion of sunlight that travels through space, passes the atmosphere with relatively little obstruction, and warms the surface and lower atmosphere. After being absorbed, the Earth re-radiates heat back into space as long-wave infrared radiation, which is why that form is not the input but the output of the system. Ultraviolet radiation is part of the solar spectrum but represents only a smaller fraction of the total energy reaching Earth, and microwave radiation from the Sun is not a major component of the incoming energy.