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Climate Change, global warming, Greenhouse Effect Explained in detail. Surface temperatures continue to rise, reasons.
On the incoming Solar energy (average 340 watts per square meter), that falls on the Earth, about 71 percent is absorbed by the Earth system. About 23 percent of incoming solar energy is absorbed in the atmosphere by water vapor, dust, and ozone, and 48 percent passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. 29% is reflected back into space, primarily by clouds, but also by other bright surfaces and the atmosphere itself. This reflected energy plays no role in Earth’s climate system or green house effect.
Just as the major atmospheric gases (oxygen 20.947% and nitrogen 78.08%) are transparent to incoming sunlight, they are also transparent to outgoing radiation (thermal infrared) to space. However, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other trace gases in atmosphere are opaque to many wavelengths of heat or thermal infrared energy. So, these (greenhouse) gas molecules absorb thermal infrared energy radiated by the surface, which corresponds to a net 5-6 percent of incoming solar energy. Instead of escaping into space, the heat energy is used in heating up, the above mentioned gas molecules. Thus the heat is prevented from escaping into space, is trapped in atmosphere by these molecules which are opaque to heat energy, are called Green house gases (GHG).
Because greenhouse gas molecules radiate heat in all directions, some of it spreads downward and ultimately comes back into contact with the Earth’s surface, where it is absorbed. The temperature of the surface becomes warmer than it would be if it were heated only by direct solar heating. This supplemental heating of the Earth’s surface by the atmosphere is the natural greenhouse effect. This supplemental heating of the Earth’s surface by the atmosphere is the natural greenhouse effect.
The Natural Greenhouse Effect, is a vital process helps to maintain the Earth’s temperature at a level suitable for life. Without the natural greenhouse effect, the Earth’s average temperature would be much colder, making it inhospitable for most life forms.
Out of the above mentioned green house gases, Carbon dioxide Co2 (0.035% in atmosphere), plays a crucial role acting as a blanket that prevents the escape of heat into outer space.
However, human activities have increased the concentration of these green house gases (mainly C02), intensifying the greenhouse effect and leading to global warming.
The majority of these emissions result from human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels for energy, industry, transportation and deforestation.
The primary greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). These gases trap solar heat energy, preventing it from escaping into space, much like a greenhouse.
Greenhouse gas emissions (GHE) refer to the release of these heat trapping gases (carbon dioxide, methane CH4, Nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other trace gases) into the Earth’s atmosphere that intensify the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming and climate change.
However, as long as greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, the amount of absorbed solar energy will continue to exceed the amount of thermal infrared energy that can escape to space. The energy imbalance will continue to grow, and surface temperatures will continue to rise.
Source: 1. The Earth Observatory, NASA 2. https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmosphere
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