Quizlet: What Makes The Atmosphere Resemble A Greenhouse At Times?

The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon where certain gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide, and fluorinated gases, accumulate in Earth’s atmosphere. These gases trap the sun’s heat, making Earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere. The Earth’s atmosphere acts as a blanket, keeping us warm by trapping greenhouse gases and protecting us from harmful elements.

The greenhouse effect arises from Earth’s atmosphere, where visible light from the sun and invisible ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths can penetrate the gaseous layer. In the right amounts, greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, can help regulate the temperature of the Earth. However, human activities often release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing harm to the Earth’s natural environment and biosphere.

Gases like water vapor and carbon dioxide contain longwave radiation from the Earth. When there are more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect becomes stronger. Changes in Earth’s climate often cause a response from other factors, such as the lower atmosphere becoming warmer than it would be without these gases.

Global warming refers to the rise in global temperatures due mainly to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This chapter frames the context, knowledge-base, and assessment approaches used to understand the impacts of 1.5°C global warming above pre-industrial levels. The Earth’s atmosphere acts as a coat or blanket, keeping us warm, safe, and protected from harmful elements.

How does the Earth’s atmosphere work similarly to the greenhouse?

Greenhouse gases absorb the sun’s heat, trapping it in the atmosphere and preventing it from escaping into space. This process keeps Earth’s temperature warmer, supporting life on Earth. Human activity contributes to the accumulation of greenhouse gases, boosting the greenhouse effect and altering climate. This leads to shifts in snow and rainfall patterns, increased average temperatures, and extreme climate events like heatwaves and floods. Different types of greenhouse gases have varying global warming potential.

Why do some atmospheric gases act as greenhouse gases while others do not?

The Greenhouse Effect occurs when solar energy absorbed at Earth’s surface is radiated back into the atmosphere as heat. Greenhouse gases, which are more complex than other gas molecules, absorb heat and radiate it back to the Earth’s surface, another greenhouse gas molecule, or out to space. Major greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and nitrous oxide. These molecules, made of three or more atoms, vibrate when they absorb heat, releasing radiation that is likely to be absorbed by another greenhouse gas molecule.

This process keeps heat near the Earth’s surface. Most of the gas in the atmosphere is nitrogen and oxygen, which cannot absorb heat and contribute to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide, made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms, makes up a small fraction of the atmosphere but has a large effect on climate. The concentration of carbon dioxide has been over 400 ppm since 2015.

What is the difference between the greenhouse effect and the atmosphere?

Greenhouse gases cause Earth’s surface to warm, but aerosol pollution in the atmosphere can counteract this effect. Fossil fuel combustion produces sulphate aerosols that reduce sunlight, cooling the Earth. These aerosols also negatively impact human health and other climate systems, such as rainfall. Understanding the difference between weather and climate is crucial for understanding the causes of climate change and its impacts.

What is the relationship between the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is the natural warming of the Earth caused by gases trapping heat from the sun, which would otherwise escape into space. This process, identified by scientists in the 1800s, makes the Earth habitable. Around 30% of solar energy reaches the Earth, while the rest is absorbed by the atmosphere or Earth’s surface. This process warms the planet, causing infrared radiation to be absorbed by atmospheric gases, causing further warming.

However, higher concentrations of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), are causing extra heat to be trapped and causing average global temperatures to rise. For most of the past 800, 000 years, CO2 concentration in the atmosphere was between 200 and 280 parts per million. However, in 2013, due to burning fossil fuels and deforestation, CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere surpassed 400 parts per million, a level not seen on the planet for millions of years. As of 2023, it has reached over 420 parts per million, 50% higher than preindustrial levels.

How is the Earth’s atmosphere not like a greenhouse?

The Earth’s atmosphere is not analogous to a greenhouse; it is open. Furthermore, the quantity of CO2 is insufficient to cover 99. 97 molecules, rendering it implausible that 0. 03 CO2 molecules could cover them.

How does Earth’s atmosphere resemble a greenhouse?

The greenhouse effect is a process whereby certain gases in the atmosphere, including water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and chlorofluorocarbons, act as a barrier to heat loss by emulating the properties of glass in a greenhouse. This allows sunlight to enter the atmosphere but prevents heat from escaping back into space.

Why is the Earth’s atmosphere referred to as being like a greenhouse?

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.

Why is the atmosphere sometimes compared to a greenhouse?

A greenhouse is a glass structure used for controlling temperature and humidity for plant cultivation or protection. It traps heat from the sun’s rays inside, keeping plants warm even in cold weather. The Earth’s atmosphere absorbs Earth’s heat, causing the greenhouse effect, which traps some of that energy. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, are responsible for this effect.

These gases absorb heat and release heat energy, which is often absorbed by another greenhouse gas molecule. Although greenhouse gases don’t have a hard surface like glass, they have a similar effect on keeping the planet warm. The greenhouse effect keeps temperatures mild and suitable for living things, and the greenhouse effect is a significant concern for our planet.

Why is the greenhouse analogy appropriate when talking about the atmosphere?

A greenhouse, like Earth’s atmosphere, functions to trap heat by allowing sunlight in and retaining it. This process is known as the greenhouse effect, which includes greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.

Why does the greenhouse effect occur because the atmosphere is?

The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon whereby the Earth’s surface absorbs and re-emits infrared radiation, resulting in a net heating of the planet. This is due to the absorption of visible light by materials on the Earth’s surface, including rocks, soil, and ocean.

Why is the analogy of the Earth’s atmosphere to a greenhouse imperfect?

The analogy between a greenhouse and Earth’s atmosphere is imperfect due to the distinct mechanisms that underpin each process.