Reply #14: Energy leaves the planet to space in the form of radiation, which is emitted [View All]

[petronius]

by the surface and atmosphere. The type and amount of radiation given off by something is determined by its temperature, and as materials warm they emit more radiant energy.

So, it's not really a process of heat (thermal energy) rising out of the atmosphere to space but rather the propagation of electromagnetic energy upward. Anthropogenic energy released into the lower atmosphere would be dealt with the same way, but it's a tiny tiny fraction of the whole cascade. More important with fossil fuels is the release of gases into the atmosphere that absorb some of that outgoing radiation, leading to the trapping of additional energy near the surface (that's global warming)...