Total Radiated Energy - This image shows warm surfaces in yellow. Where the surface is colder, the image appears blue. The polar regions receive less energy from the Sun than the they emit to space, hence they are colder. The temperature difference between the tropics and the poles create winds and ocean currents that circulate heat and moisture. Reflected Solar Energy - Different surfaces on the Earth reflect more or less energy back into space.
Reflectivity is described in terms of albedo.
Both are highly reflective of the Sun's energy. Reflected Solar Energy over the Indian Subcontinent - Heavy clouds over the Himalayas are highly reflective, while the more heavily vegetated and populated areas to the south are less so. Observations show that many of these particles can even reach the shores of the Americas. By looking at how different cloud formations absorb or reflect various amounts of energy, scientists can develop new predictive models about weather systems and how the Earth maintains its delicate temperature balance. Lockheed-Martin Atlas II medium capacity rocket boosted the Terra satellite into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base California on December 18, 1999.