Greatest Threat Global Climate Warming

Atmospheric gases tend to absorb outbound infrared radiation largely throughout its wavelength range except for a gap between 8 and 13 pm. Small increases in levels of carbon dioxide, especially, have a relatively large effect on infrared absorption because they fill gaps in the infrared absorption 

FIGURE 8.2 Levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide as a function of time. The inset shows the annual variation in the Northern Hemisphere due to photosynthesis. The great acceleration marks a point at which atmospheric carbon dioxide levels began rising at a very rapid rate. 

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