This paper was written by Elijah Thimsen and published in 2024. It is based on research he did on data from the Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instruments in order to determine how the rate of sunlight absorbed by the earth and the rate of global entropy production have evolved from 2002 to 2023 (Thimsen, 2024).
The abstract of the paper states: “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.”
Thimsen, E. 2024. Planetary Energy Flow and Entropy Production Rate by Earth from 2002 to 2023. Entropy 26/5: 350.