Menu

Graphic

The Earth’s energy budget

When sunlight reaches the earth, it is either reflected to space or absorbed and re-emitted as heat. Emissions of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, trap heat, causing warming.

When sunlight reaches the earth, it is either reflected to space or absorbed and re-emitted as heat. Emissions of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, trap heat, causing warming.

Heat reabsorbed by the atmosphere

Earth

Sunlight reflected by Earth

SRM

Sunlight reflection methods (SRM) aim to reflect some sunlight to offset that warming.

Source: SRM360

Heat reabsorbed by the atmosphere

Earth

Sunlight reflected by Earth

SRM

Sunlight reflection methods (SRM) aim to reflect some sunlight to offset that warming.

Source: SRM360

Published April 7, 2025
Download this graphic

Citation

SRM360 (2025) – "The Earth’s energy budget" [Infographic]. Published online at SRM360.org. Retrieved from: 'https://srm360.org/infographic/the-earths-energy-budget/' [Online Resource]

Reuse this work freely

The content produced by SRM360 is open access under the Creative Commons BY license. You are free to use, distribute, and reproduce these in any medium, provided that SRM360 and the authors are credited.

The sources used by SRM360 are subject to the licence terms of the original third party. We will always indicate the original sources in our content, so please review the licence of any third-party sources before use and redistribution.