Short answers, pulled from the story.
Incoming solar radiation averages approximately 340 watts per square meter globally. This value represents one quarter of the solar constant because Earth is a sphere with four times the surface area of its cross-section.
Over 90 percent of the extra energy accumulated since 1970 has been stored within the ocean. The overall growth rate reached close to 500 terawatts as of 2020, which exceeds total primary human energy consumption by a factor of at least 20.
The NASA Earth Radiation Budget Experiment project launched three satellites starting in October 1984. The Earth Radiation Budget Satellite followed by NOAA-9 in December 1984 and NOAA-10 in September 1986 provided early data.
Water vapor acts as a positive feedback loop because warmer air holds more moisture, enhancing the greenhouse effect further. The Clausius-Clapeyron relation explains how this evaporation shift increases atmospheric heat retention.
The Earth's energy imbalance averaged about 460 terawatts during the period from 2005 to 2019. This value corresponds globally to 0.90 watts per square meter on average.