The radiation budget’s delicate balance is a key factor in regulating Earth’s climate – the budget integrates almost all of the physical processes affecting Earth’s climate. The radiation budget refers to the equilibrium between the incoming solar radiation from the Sun and the outgoing thermal radiation emitted by the Earth. This balance is crucial for maintaining a relatively stable temperature on our planet and is influenced by various factors, including clouds, aerosols, greenhouse gases and surface properties.

Understanding and monitoring Earth's radiation balance is crucial for studying and addressing climate-related issues.

ESA’s EarthCARE mission carries a suite of instruments to answer some critical scientific questions related to the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back out to space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth’s surface. Although clouds play an extremely important role in atmospheric heating and cooling, they remain one of the biggest mysteries – in fact the least understood factor – in our understanding of how the atmosphere drives the climate system.