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Astronomy/Solar Energy that reach earth

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Expert: - 9/24/2010


Question
What is the estimate of solar energy that reaches the Earth's surface?
What amount of that energy is converted into physical matter?
How much does the Earth grow in mass because of this solar energy each year?


Answer
Hello,


About 1360 watts per square meter, or 1360 Joules per sq. meter per second of solar radiant and heat energy reaches the Earth's surface. While some fraction of this is also used in photosynthesis in green plants, there is no known amount of physical matter produced. (No one has ever performed such computations that I know of.)

The amount of mass by which the Earth "grows" because of this solar energy is negligible, because so much is used as it is received, the rest absorbed into the atmosphere to drive the climate.

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Philip Stahl

Expertise

I have forty years of experience in Astronomy, specifically solar and space physics. My specialties include the physics of solar flares, sunspots, including their effects on Earth and statistics as applied to astronomical investigations.

Experience

Astronomy: more than forty years experience starting with construction of my own simple telescopes. Worked at university observatory in college, doing astrographic measurements. M.Phil. degree in Physics/Solar Physics and more than ten years as researcher.

Organizations
American Astronomical Society (Solar Physics and Dynamical Astronomy divisions), American Mathematical Society, American Geophysical Union

Publications
Solar Physics (journal), The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, The Proceedings of the Meudon Solar Flare Workshop (1986), The Proceedings of the Caribbean Physics Conference (1985). Books: 'Selected Analyses in Solar Flare Plasma Dynamics', 'Physics Notes for Advanced Level'.

Education/Credentials
B.A. Astronomy, M. Phil. Physics

Awards and Honors
American Astronomical Society Studentship Award (1984), Barbados Government Award for Solar Research

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