Climate Regulators  Concepts

Covering 70% of Earth's surface, the ocean dominates Earth's energy and water cycles by absorbing sunshine over vast areas and converting shortwave solar radiation into transferable heat. Evaporation of water molecules at the surface of the ocean supplies our atmosphere with water vapor needed to trap outgoing longwave terrestrial radiation and warm the planet. Known as the Greenhouse effect, this process keeps Earth from freezing. Greenhouse gases - such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane - occur naturally in small amounts and help regulate climate.