Which of the following is NOT a method of transferring heat energy into the atmosphere?

The process of transferring heat energy into the atmosphere can happen through various methods, each with unique mechanisms. Conduction, for example, transfers heat through direct contact between materials, while convection involves the movement of air or liquid which redistributes heat. Radiation refers to the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves, allowing heat to travel through the vacuum of space.

Absorption, while describing a process through which materials can take in energy or heat, does not directly denote a method of heat transfer into the atmosphere. Instead, it often pertains to how certain surfaces or materials interact with radiation and can influence thermal energy dynamics but doesn't itself involve the act of transferring heat to the atmospheric layers.

Therefore, the emphasis on the nature of absorption as not specifically being a method of direct heat transfer into the atmosphere reinforces why it is the correct choice in this context.