This latent heat is released into the atmosphere when the water condenses or becomes solid. Both of these processes become part of the emission of longwave radiation by the atmosphere and clouds. The surface of the Earth emits 117 units of longwave radiation . Of this emission only 6 units are directly lost to space. The atmosphere emits 160 units of longwave energy.
Atmospheric emissions travel in two directions.
64 units of atmospheric emission is lost directly to space. 96 units travel to the Earth's surface where it is absorbed and transferred into heat energy . This is the same amount of energy that was added to the Earth's atmosphere and surface by the Global Shortwave Radiation Cascade . NASA's Surface Radiation Budget Project has used satellite data, computer models, and meteorological data to determine surface net shortwave radiation, net longwave radiation, and net radiation balances for the period July 1983 to June 1991.