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Planetary Energy Flow and Entropy Generation Rate by Earth from 2002 to 2023
Version 1
: Received: 18 March 2024 / Approved: 19 March 2024 / Online: 19 March 2024 (08:06:39 CET)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Thimsen, E. Planetary Energy Flow and Entropy Production Rate by Earth from 2002 to 2023. Entropy 2024, 26, 350. Thimsen, E. Planetary Energy Flow and Entropy Production Rate by Earth from 2002 to 2023. Entropy 2024, 26, 350.
Abstract
In this work, satellite data from the Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments is analyzed to determine how the global absorbed sunlight and global entropy generation rate have changed during the time period from 2002 to 2023. The data is used to test hypotheses derived from the Maximum Power Principle (MPP) and Maximum Entropy Production Principle (MEP) about the evolution of earth’s surface and atmosphere. The results indicate that the amount of absorbed sunlight has increased over the last 20 years but rising surface temperatures have caused the entropy generation rate to remain approximately constant despite that decrease in albedo. The results are simpler to explain using the MPP but do not completely rule out the MEP. Given the acceptance of the MPP or MEP, some extensions and nuances are discussed.
Keywords
Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics; Life; Ecosystems; Evolution; Entropy Generation; Geoengineering; Social Sciences; Albedo; Externalities
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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