What is the Greenhouse Effect

Radiation making its way from the Sun to Earth encounters many types of molecules once it reaches Earth s stratosphere. Certain molecules are more efficient than others at absorbing some types of radiation and different types of radiation bring about different responses in the molecules they encounter. Both features are critical to understanding the greenhouse effect. 

Eigure 6.3 illustrates the fate of solar radiation. Much of the radiation coming from the sun is simply reflected back into space once it encounters our atmosphere. This fact is of little practical consequence to us except as a 

Greenhouse effect A phenomenon of Earth s atmosphere by which solar radiation, trapped by Earth and re-emitted from the surface as infrared radiation, is prevented from escaping by various gases in the atmosphere. This leads to warming of Earth. 

FIGURE 6.2 A comparison of the intensity of solar radiation and the wavelength of the radiation. 

As infrared radiation heads away from Earth back toward space, about 84% of it is reabsorbed by molecules (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane) in our atmosphere and then reradiated back to Earth. This greenhouse blanket is critical to the balance of incoming and outgoing radiation that keeps our Earth s temperature tolerable for life. Thankfully, this phenomenon warms the surface of Earth to a comfortable average temperature of 15°C or about 59°F (compared to about 270°G in outer space) and allows us to flourish here. Without this warming, our oceans would be frozen solid  

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C What is the greenhouse effect Why is it a matter of great concent among atmospheric scientists ... 

What is the greenhouse effect What is the criterion for classifying a gas as a greenhouse gas ... 

O What is the greenhouse effect and what are the key molecules which cause it ... 

What is the greenhouse effect, and how does it affect Earth s temperature ... 

What is the "greenhouse effect" Why is a certain level of greenhouse gases beneficial, but too high a level dangerous to life on earth What is the most common greenhouse gas ... 

The most important radiative interaction in the Earth s system is the greenhouse effect, without which the Earth would be so cold that it would probably be in a state of permanent glaciation. Water vapor is the most important greenhouse gas, but the well-documented increase in CO2 abundance, above what is believed to be the natural level existing in the pre-industrial era, has been a matter of considerable concern, because enhanced levels of CO2 (and... 

Water vapour makes a sizeable contribution, and probably the largest, to radiation trapping and as the temperature increases the water vapour concentration increases. Temperature rises as a result of increased water vapour concentration and hence a mechanism for a positive feedback in the greenhouse effect that might lead to a runaway greenhouse effect. When the vapour pressure for water reaches saturation, condensation occurs and water rains out of the atmosphere this is what happens on Earth and Mars. On Venus, however, the water vapour pressure never saturates and no precipitation occurs and the global warming continues to increase. Thus Venus suffers from extreme temperatures produced by both its proximity to the Sun and the presence of water vapour and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. 

What does it mean to say that the greenhouse effect is like a one-way valve ... 

Chapter 8 (which can be covered before Chapter 7 if desired) provides a very broad overview of molecular spectroscopy and the origins of color. The topics range all the way from rainbows and peacock feathers to microwave ovens and the greenhouse effect. Once again, the emphasis is on obtaining an understanding of how we know what we know about molecules, with mathematics kept to a minimum in most sections. 

What would be the Earth s atmospheric temperature if the greenhouse effect is increased by 10% ... 

However, the surface temperature of the Earth is 298 K. This temperature difference is attributed to what is known as the greenhouse effect, where part of... 

The greenhouse effect is a well-known phenomenon that results in warming of Earth s atmosphere by absorption of infrared (IR) radiation by molecules in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane. Figure 6.2 shows that infrared radiation accounts for about 53% of the radiation coming from our Sun. About 8% is higher-energy ultraviolet (UV) radiation and 39% is visible (Vis) radiation. What is the impact of this radiation as it travels through our atmosphere and then strikes Earth ... 

What type of radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect ... 

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