Monitoring the earth’s energy balance from Lagrange point L1

Abstract

This paper describes a method of monitoring the variations of the earth's energy balance from Lagrange point L1. The method is based on measurements of the variation of the solar constant in the complete spectral range and of the earth's radiation flux in the spectral ranges 0.2-100 μm, 8-13 μm, and a number of other ranges. The threshold sensitivity of a telescope with entrance-pupil diameter 400 mm must equal 10 −7 W for a dynamic range of four orders. The method makes it possible to record variations of the Bond albedo at the 0.1% level, and this corresponds to a temperature variation of the earth by 0.03 K, taking into account the variation of the solar constant. It is shown how the increments of the Bond albedo, the specific power of solar radiation absorbed by the planet, and the planetary temperature depend on the variation of the albedo of the atmosphere and the earth's surface and the transmission of solar radiation by the atmosphere.