effective temperature The temperature of a planetary surface in the absence of an atmosphere. The effective temperature of Earth is some 35–40°C lower than the actual Earth surface temperature (approximately 15°C) owing to the ‘greenhouse effect’ of the Earth's atmosphere.

effective temperature (T_e) The temperature of a planetary surface in the absence of an atmosphere. The effective temperature of Earth is some 35–40°C lower than the actual Earth surface temperature (T_s): the latter is approximately 15°C owing to the greenhouse effect of the Earth's atmosphere.