From the Moon to Earth
Understanding the Earth's energy budget - the balance between incoming solar energy and the energy the Earth gives off - is one of the keys to understanding climate change. Without a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget, it's impossible to understand the natural and human-induced influence on climate, according to University of Michigan geophysicist Shaopeng Huang.
A failed experiment conducted by Apollo 15 astronauts resulted in NASA's acquisition of 41 months of surface temperature data from the moon. The temperature on the moon's near side is controlled by solar radiation during the day and by radiation from the Earth at night. This gives a clear picture of the Earth's energy budget unencumbered by complications associated with the atmosphere and biosphere.
Huang would like to see a network of monitoring stations set up on the moon for the study of climate change on Earth.
Comments (2)
It makes perfect sense and would seem obvious that the amount of incoming solar radiation is critical to temperature.
It is not disputed that solar radiation has been at an unusual high for the past 50 years. A thinking person whould recognize that this is going to raise ocean temperatures and take it's toll on glaciers at lower altitudes.
When the sun reverts back to a more normal cycle one might expect to see the opposite. No need to pass destructive laws which destroy the economy or starve poor people. Our human sacrifice will not change the sun's behavior any more than it did in Aztec times.
Here is a good example of global warming legislative insanity which hurts everyone and accomplishes nothing-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6694251.stm
Posted by Patrick Henry | May 29, 2007 7:44 AM
Forget it. Never get funded since it would put the AGW crowd out of business.
Posted by Kamatu | May 30, 2007 9:14 AM