The Greenhouse Effect Essay - 830 Words

Much like the glass of a greenhouse, gases in our atmosphere sustain life on Earth by trapping the sun s heat. The Earth’s atmosphere contains several different gases that act like a blanket, keeping the Earth warm. Water vapour and some trace gases like CO2, CH4 (methane), O3 (ozone), N2O (nitrous oxide), are â€Å"IR active†, i.e. they absorb heat energy, and stop the warmth from escaping into space. Without the entrapment of heat, the earth’s mean temperature would be -180 C and life, as we know it today, would not be possible. These gases are present in the atmosphere in tiny quantities compared to the amounts of oxygen and nitrogen. But even a small change in the concentration of these gases may create an effect that could change our†¦show more content†¦Any factor that alters the amount of radiation received from the sun or heat lost to space may influence the climate. Therefore, any enhancement of the Greenhouse effect is a cause for concern. Besi des fluctuations of solar radiation due to the earth orbiting around the sun, human activities influence the number of greenhouse gases. In fact, since the beginning of the industrial revolution, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and agriculture have caused the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to increase substantially. A marked rise in the global temperature has been related to these human activities and CO2 emissions, and this temperature rise is believed to be the result of an enhancement of the natural Greenhouse effect. And as a result, global warming arises.This awareness has led many researchers to investigate possible causes and effects of this temperature rise. However, as much knowledge about the climate system is lacking, numerous researches on that issue have led to a great deal of debate. At the moment, the way the climate system will respond to these human activities is difficult to predict, for too many processes a re not understood well enough. One absolute reality though is the fact that the global climate system will respond to increasing temperatures. Moreover, this response could have irreversible consequences for the habitabilityShow MoreRelated Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Essay591 Words   |  3 PagesGlobal Warming and the Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect, in environmental science, is a popular term for the effect that certain variable constituents of the Earths lower atmosphere have on surface temperatures. It has been known since 1896 that Earth has been warmed by a blanket of gasses (This is called the greenhouse effect.). The gases--water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4)--keep ground temperatures at a global average of about 15 degrees C (60 degrees F). WithoutRead MoreEssay on Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect 1500 Words   |  6 Pages Global Warming is due to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring process that aids in heating the Earths surface and atmosphere. It results from the fact that certain atmospheric gases, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane, are able to change the energy balance of the planet by being able to absorb longwave radiation from the Earths surface. Without the greenhouse effect, life on this planet would probably not exist as the averageRead MoreGlobal Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Essays793 Words   |  4 Pages What is the greenhouse effect? It is the behavior of solar radiation when it interacts with gasses in the Earths atmosphere. The Sun gives off a wide spectrum of energy which we classify according to its wavelength. Among the types of energy given off by the sun are ultraviolet (UV), visible and infrared (IR) wavelengths. 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With this loss of this protective blanket, harmful radioactiveRead More Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Essay examples457 Words   |  2 PagesWarming and the Greenhouse Effect In the past decade the greenhouse effect has gained much attention with the media. Because of the pollution in the 1980s and early 90s attention was brought to the greenhouse effect. In overpopulated areas, the amounts of methane and carbon dioxide was growing. Some scientists believe the greenhouse effect is directly related to the earths warming, others believe its a cycle of earths temperatures. The greenhouse effect is very importantRead MoreGlobal Warming: The Greenhouse Effect and Our Response Essay example501 Words   |  3 PagesGlobal warming (the greenhouse effect) is the increase in the temperature of Earths weather which has become popular to many people as one of the most important danger in the universe. 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