18 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: Why does it get cold at night ?
This is a fantastic question. You also already bring up all the important effects, and the only thing that's missing is putting numbers on them.
Maybe IR radiation seems like it wouldn't be so high, but in reality, without an atmosphere, the equilibrium temperature would be -18°C. It's, as you say, the greenhouse effect (water and CO2) that put us at a much more comfortable +15°C on average.
Evaporative cooling is I think negligible but I'd love to be corrected.
Comment by TheSlipperiestSlope at 27/11/2024 at 23:47 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
But be careful dear readers, for understanding the effects of atmosphere on the effective temperature of the earth is a slippery slope to understanding man made climate change following the Industrial Revolution.