How Did Greenhouse Effect Physics Come To Be?

John Tyndall, a physicist, discovered that carbon dioxide and water vapor were gases that absorb and radiate heat, which is the basis of the greenhouse effect. Tyndall conducted experiments in 1859 to examine how heat affected air. The greenhouse effect, a warming of Earth’s surface and troposphere, is caused by the presence of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases. Eunice Newton Foote later showed that carbon dioxide traps the heat of the sun in 1856, beating the “father of the greenhouse effect” by at least three years. Joseph Fourier proposed the existence of the greenhouse effect in 1824, but it was not named as such. In 1896, Swedish physicist Svante Arrhenius realized that carbon dioxide traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere, causing the “greenhouse effect”. In the 19th century, scientists realized that gases in the atmosphere cause a “greenhouse effect” that affects the planet’s temperature. Joseph Fourier’s idea that the Earth’s atmosphere acts like an insulator is the first formulation of the greenhouse effect. Svante Arrhenius was the first to claim that fossil fuel combustion may eventually result in enhanced greenhouse effect.

Who discovered greenhouse effect in 1859?

In 1859, John Tyndall, a physicist, is credited with discovering the greenhouse effect, a phenomenon that had been previously identified by Newton in 1666. His legacy is deeply entrenched in the scientific community, yet Newton’s is often overlooked.

Is greenhouse effect a physics?

In 1896, Swedish physicist Svante Arrhenius discovered that carbon dioxide (CO2) traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere, known as the greenhouse effect. Modern climate models have confirmed this, stating that every time CO2 concentration doubles, Earth’s temperature rises between 2 and 5 degrees Celsius. However, the physical reason behind this behavior remains a mystery. In 2022, physicists settled a dispute over the origin of the “logarithmic scaling” of the greenhouse effect.

What is the greenhouse effect in physics terms?

The greenhouse effect is a process where heat is trapped near Earth’s surface by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor. These gases help maintain a warmer temperature than it would otherwise have. Carbon dioxide is crucial for maintaining Earth’s atmosphere stability, as it would collapse the terrestrial greenhouse effect and drop Earth’s surface temperature by approximately 33°C (59°F).

Earth is often called the ‘Goldilocks’ planet due to its natural greenhouse effect, which maintains an average temperature of 15°C (59°F). However, human activities, primarily from burning fossil fuels, have disrupted Earth’s energy balance, leading to an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and ocean. The level of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere has been rising consistently for decades, trapping extra heat near the planet’s surface and causing temperatures to rise.

When was the greenhouse effect discovered?

The greenhouse effect, first proposed by Joseph Fourier in 1824, was further strengthened by Claude Pouillet in 1827 and 1838. Eunice Newton Foote demonstrated that the sun’s warming effect is greater for air with water vapor than dry air, and even greater with carbon dioxide. The term “greenhouse” was first applied to this phenomenon by Nils Gustaf Ekholm in 1901. The greenhouse effect on Earth is defined as the infrared radiative effect of all infrared absorbing constituents in the atmosphere, including greenhouse gases (GHGs), clouds, and some aerosols. The enhanced greenhouse effect is due to human action increasing the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere, resulting in a more significant natural greenhouse effect.

Who predicted the greenhouse effect in 1896?

In 1896, Svante Arrhenius, a pioneering figure in the field of atmospheric chemistry, published two articles that introduced the first model of the impact of carbonic acid (CO₂) on ground temperature. This model gained significant attention in the 1970s due to concerns about global warming.

Who was the first person to experiment scientifically about the greenhouse effect?

Today’s Google doodle focuses on Eunice Newton Foote, who discovered the greenhouse effect and played a significant role in women’s rights movements. Foote’s work, which is often attributed to physicist John Tyndall, involved experiments on how heat affected air. In 2011, amateur historian Raymond Sorenson discovered a record of Foote’s work at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1856, which is the first record of a physics article by a female scientist. Foote concluded that the highest effect of the sun’s rays was found in carbonic acid gas, primarily carbon dioxide, and speculated that an atmosphere of that gas would give Earth a high temperature.

Which scientist told the theory of greenhouse effect?

In 1859, Irish physicist John Tyndall discovered the absorption of heat by gases, a groundbreaking discovery that set the foundation for our modern understanding of climate change, meteorology, and weather. Tyndall’s apparatus, which he had set up at the Royal Institution in London, allowed him to detect the absorption of heat by gases, including carbon dioxide and water vapor. This discovery laid the groundwork for our modern understanding of the greenhouse effect and its impact on climate change.

Is global warming a physics?

Global warming on Earth is a result of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that Earth operates like a heat engine, with input heat from solar radiation and exhaust heat from terrestrial radiation determining the operating temperature. Over geological periods, this heat exchange reaches equilibrium, and temperature rises or falls depending on input and exhaust heat. The greenhouse effect is rapidly restricting exhaust heat, causing Earth’s temperature to rise to reach equilibrium. The increase in temperature depends on human activity and the Earth’s orbital characteristics.

How did Joseph Fourier discover the greenhouse effect?

Fourier, the first to study Earth’s temperature mathematically, concluded that the planet was much warmer than simple analysis might suggest. He calculated that the Earth would be much colder if the sun’s radiation were the only warming effect. This idea, which later became known as the greenhouse effect, was first formulation by Swedish meteorologist Nils Gustaf Ekholm around 1900. The energy from the sun and the atmosphere is transparent, passing through and warming land and oceans. These gases, mainly water vapor and carbon dioxide, absorb this energy and re-emit it, partly upward and partly downward, to warm the surface.

When did scientists first predict the greenhouse effect?

In 1896, the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius posited that an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels could result in a notable alteration of surface temperature through the greenhouse effect.

Who introduced the concept of greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect, a term coined by French mathematician Joseph Fourier in 1824, is attributed to the fact that Earth’s atmosphere functions similarly to a “hotbox” developed by Swiss physicist Horace Bénédict de Saussure. However, Fourier did not use the term or credit atmospheric gases with keeping Earth warm. Swedish physicist and physical chemist Svante Arrhenius is credited with the origins of the term in 1896, with the publication of the first plausible climate model explaining how gases trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect occurs when sunlight heats Earth’s surface, causing it to radiate infrared radiation back toward space. This radiation, unlike visible light, is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, raising its temperature. The heated atmosphere then radiates infrared radiation back towards Earth’s surface. Without the greenhouse effect, Earth’s average surface temperature would be around -18°C (0°F). On Venus, the high concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes an extreme greenhouse effect, resulting in surface temperatures as high as 450°C (840°F).