About 29 % of the solar energy is reflected back to space by clouds, particles in the atmosphere and by snow or sea ice and about 23 % of solar energy is absorbed by dust, water vapor and ozone present in the atmosphere. Only 48 % of solar energy passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. Thus, approximately 71 % of the total solar energy is absorbed by the Earth system.
When Earth receives energy from the Sun, some energy is reflected back into space, some is absorbed by the atmosphere, and some is absorbed by land and water on Earth's surface.
