Global atmospheric energy balance and cycling are associated with many complex processes that are keys in understanding the earth's climate. Satellite observations of radiative energy at the top of atmosphere (TOA) and surface as well as latent and sensible heat over the oceans are used in this study to evaluate the global annual energy budget. Since there is no observation-based surface turbulent heat flux estimates over land, surface radiation data are used to force the radiation, turbulent heat, and heat storage into balance.

CERES and ERBE satellite measurements show that global annual mean TOA net radiative fluxes are close to zero. The net radiative energy fluxes into the surface and the surface turbulent heat transported into the atmosphere are about 113 and 104 W/m^2, respectively. The estimated atmospheric imbalances are about -8 W/m^2, a value that is within the uncertainties of surface radiation and sea surface turbulent flux estimates and likely from the systematic errors in the analyzed satellite observations. This spurious heat imbalances are much smaller (about half) than those obtained previously and debated about a decade ago. Progress in surface radiation and oceanic turbulent heat flux estimations from satellite measurements has significantly reduced the bias errors in the observed global energy budgets of the climate system.