Planetary equilibrium temperature

The planetary equilibrium temperature is a theoretical temperature that a planet would be if it were in radiative equilibrium, typically under the assumption that it radiates as a black body being heated only by its parent star. In this model, the presence or absence of an atmosphere (and therefore any greenhouse effect) is irrelevant, as the equilibrium temperature is calculated purely from a balance with incident stellar energy.

Other authors use different names for this concept, such as equivalent blackbody temperature of a planet.[1] The effective radiation emission temperature is a related concept,[2] but focuses on the actual power radiated rather than on the power being received, and so may have a different value if the planet has an internal energy source or when the planet is not in radiative equilibrium.[3][4]

Planetary equilibrium temperature differs from the global mean temperature and surface air temperature, which are measured observationally by satellites or surface-based instruments, and may be warmer than the equilibrium temperature due to the greenhouse effect.[3][4]

  1. ^ Wallace & Hobbs (2006), pp. 119–120.
  2. ^ Stull, R. (2000). Meteorology For Scientists and Engineers. A technical companion book with Ahrens' Meteorology Today, Brooks/Cole, Belmont CA, ISBN 978-0-534-37214-9, p. 400.
  3. ^ a b Jin, Menglin; Dickinson, Robert E (2010-10-01). "Land surface skin temperature climatology: benefitting from the strengths of satellite observations". Environmental Research Letters. 5 (4): 044004. Bibcode:2010ERL.....5d4004J. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/5/4/044004. ISSN 1748-9326.
  4. ^ a b Lissauer, Jack Jonathan; De Pater, Imke (2013-09-16). Fundamental planetary science: physics, chemistry, and habitability. New York, NY, US: Cambridge University Press. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-521-85330-9. OCLC 808009225.