Greenhouse effect

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A representation of the exchanges of energy between the source (the Sun), the arth!s surface, the arth!s atmosphere, and the ultimate sink outer space" #he ability of the atmosphere to capture and recycle energy emitted by the arth surface is the defining characteristic of the greenhouse effect"

Another diagram of the greenhouse effect #he greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re$radiated in all directions" Since part of this re$radiation is back towards the surface and the lower atmosphere, it results in an ele%ation of the a%erage surface temperature abo%e what it would be in the absence of the gases"&'(&)( Solar radiation at the fre*uencies of %isible light largely passes through the atmosphere to warm the planetary surface, which then emits this energy at the lower fre*uencies of infrared thermal radiation" +nfrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases, which in turn re$radiate much of the energy to the surface and lower atmosphere" #he mechanism is named after the effect of solar radiation passing through glass and warming a greenhouse, but the way it retains heat is fundamentally different as a greenhouse works by reducing airflow, isolating the warm air inside the structure so that heat is not lost by con%ection"&)(&,(&-( #he existence of the greenhouse effect was argued for by .oseph Fourier in '/)-" #he argument and the e%idence was further strengthened by 0laude 1ouillet in '/)2 and '/,/, and reasoned from experimental obser%ations by .ohn #yndall in '/34, and more fully *uantified by S%ante Arrhenius in '/45"&3(&5(

+f an ideal thermally conducti%e blackbody was the same distance from the Sun as the arth is, it would ha%e a temperature of about 3", 60" 7owe%er, since the arth reflects about ,89&2( &/( of the incoming sunlight, the planet!s effecti%e temperature (the temperature of a blackbody that would emit the same amount of radiation) is about :'/ 60,&4(&'8( about ,,60 below the actual surface temperature of about '- 60"&''( #he mechanism that produces this difference between the actual surface temperature and the effecti%e temperature is due to the atmosphere and is known as the greenhouse effect"&')( arth;s natural greenhouse effect makes life as we know it possible" 7owe%er, human acti%ities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests, ha%e intensified the natural greenhouse effect, causing global warming"&',(

Basic mechanism
#he arth recei%es energy from the Sun in the form <=, %isible, and near +> radiation, most of which passes through the atmosphere without being absorbed" ?f the total amount of energy a%ailable at the top of the atmosphere (#?A), about 389 is absorbed at the arth!s surface" @ecause it is warm, the surface radiates far +> thermal radiation that consists of wa%elengths that are predominantly much longer than the wa%elengths that were absorbed (the o%erlap between the incident solar spectrum and the terrestrial thermal spectrum is small enough to be neglected for most purposes)" Aost of this thermal radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and re$radiated both upwards and downwardsB that radiated downwards is absorbed by the arth!s surface" #his trapping of long$wa%elength thermal radiation leads to a higher e*uilibrium temperature than if the atmosphere were absent" #his highly simplified picture of the basic mechanism needs to be *ualified in a number of ways, none of which affect the fundamental process"

#he solar radiation spectrum for direct light at both the top of the arth!s atmosphere and at sea le%el

#he incoming radiation from the Sun is mostly in the form of %isible light and nearby wa%elengths, largely in the range 8")C- Dm, corresponding to the Sun!s radiati%e temperature of 5,888 E"&'-( Almost half the radiation is in the form of F%isibleF light, which our eyes are adapted to use"&'3(

About 389 of the Sun!s energy is absorbed at the arth!s surface and the rest is reflected or absorbed by the atmosphere" #he reflection of light back into spaceGlargely by cloudsGdoes not much affect the basic mechanismB this light, effecti%ely, is lost to the system" #he absorbed energy warms the surface" Simple presentations of the greenhouse effect, such as the idealiHed greenhouse model, show this heat being lost as thermal radiation" #he reality is more complexI the atmosphere near the surface is largely opa*ue to thermal radiation (with important exceptions for FwindowF bands), and most heat loss from the surface is by sensible heat and latent heat transport" >adiati%e energy

losses become increasingly important higher in the atmosphere largely because of the decreasing concentration of water %apor, an important greenhouse gas" +t is more realistic to think of the greenhouse effect as applying to a FsurfaceF in the mid$troposphere, which is effecti%ely coupled to the surface by a lapse rate" #he simple picture assumes a steady state" +n the real world there is the diurnal cycle as well as seasonal cycles and weather" Solar heating only applies during daytime" Juring the night, the atmosphere cools somewhat, but not greatly, because its emissi%ity is low, and during the day the atmosphere warms" Jiurnal temperature changes decrease with height in the atmosphere" Within the region where radiati%e effects are important the description gi%en by the idealiHed greenhouse model becomes realisticI #he surface of the arth, warmed to a temperature around )33 E, radiates long$ wa%elength, infrared heat in the range -C'88 Dm"&'-( At these wa%elengths, greenhouse gases that were largely transparent to incoming solar radiation are more absorbent"&'-( ach layer of atmosphere with greenhouses gases absorbs some of the heat being radiated upwards from lower layers" +t re$radiates in all directions, both upwards and downwardsB in e*uilibrium (by definition) the same amount as it has absorbed" #his results in more warmth below" +ncreasing the concentration of the gases increases the amount of absorption and re$radiation, and thereby further warms the layers and ultimately the surface below" &'8( Greenhouse gasesGincluding most diatomic gases with two different atoms (such as carbon monoxide, 0?) and all gases with three or more atomsGare able to absorb and emit infrared radiation" #hough more than 449 of the dry atmosphere is +> transparent (because the main constituentsGK), ?), and ArGare not able to directly absorb or emit infrared radiation), intermolecular collisions cause the energy absorbed and emitted by the greenhouse gases to be shared with the other, non$+>$acti%e, gases"

Greenhouse gases
Main article: Greenhouse gas @y their percentage contribution to the greenhouse effect on arth the four maLor gases areI&'5(&'2(

water %apor, ,5C289 carbon dioxide, 4C)59 methane, -C49 oHone, ,C29

#he maLor non$gas contributor to the arth!s greenhouse effect, clouds, also absorb and emit infrared radiation and thus ha%e an effect on radiati%e properties of the atmosphere"&'2(

Role in climate change

Main article: Global warming

#he Eeeling 0ur%e of atmospheric 0?) concentrations measured at Aauna Moa ?bser%atory"

Strengthening of the greenhouse effect through human acti%ities is known as the enhanced (or anthropogenic) greenhouse effect"&'/( #his increase in radiati%e forcing from human acti%ity is attributable mainly to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide le%els"&'4(According to the latest Assessment >eport from the +ntergo%ernmental 1anel on 0limate 0hange, Fmost of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrationsF"&)8( 0?) is produced by fossil fuel burning and other acti%ities such as cement production and tropical deforestation" &)'( Aeasurements of 0?) from the Aauna Moa obser%atory show that concentrations ha%e increased from about ,', ppm &))( in '458 to about ,/4 ppm in )8'8" #he current obser%ed amount of 0?) exceeds the geological record maxima (N,88 ppm) from ice core data"&),( #he effect of combustion$produced carbon dioxide on the global climate, a special case of the greenhouse effect first described in '/45 by S%ante Arrhenius, has also been called the 0allendar effect" ?%er the past /88,888 years,&)-( ice core data shows that carbon dioxide has %aried from %alues as low as '/8 parts per million (ppm) to the pre$industrial le%el of )28ppm"&)3( 1aleoclimatologists consider %ariations in carbon dioxide concentration to be a fundamental factor influencing climate %ariations o%er this time scale"&)5(&)2(

Real greenhouses

A modern Greenhouse in >7S Wisley #he Fgreenhouse effectF of the atmosphere is named by analogy to greenhouses which get warmer in sunlight, but the mechanism by which the atmosphere retains heat is different"&)/( A greenhouse works primarily by pre%enting absorbed heat from lea%ing the structure through con%ection, i"e" sensible heat transport" #he greenhouse effect heats the earth because greenhouse gases absorb outgoing radiati%e energy and re$emit some of it back towards earth" A greenhouse is built of any material that passes sunlight, usually glass, or plastic" +t mainly heats up because the Sun warms the ground inside, which then warms the air in the greenhouse" #he air continues to heat because it is confined within the greenhouse, unlike the en%ironment outside the greenhouse where warm air near the surface rises and mixes with cooler air aloft" #his can be demonstrated by opening a small window near the roof of a greenhouseI the temperature will drop considerably" +t has also been demonstrated experimentally (>" W" Wood, '484) that a FgreenhouseF with a co%er of rock salt (which is transparent to infra red) heats up an enclosure similarly to one with a glass co%er"&,( #hus greenhouses work primarily by pre%enting con%ecti%e cooling"&-(&)4( +n the greenhouse effect, rather than retaining (sensible) heat by physically pre%enting mo%ement of the air, greenhouse gases act to warm the arth by re$radiating some of the energy back towards the surface" #his process may exist in real greenhouses, but is comparati%ely unimportant there"

Bodies other than Earth

+n the Solar System, Aars, =enus, and the moon #itan also exhibit greenhouse effects"&,8( #itan has an anti$ greenhouse effect, in that its atmosphere absorbs solar radiation but is relati%ely transparent to infrared radiation" 1luto also exhibits beha%ior superficially similar to the anti$greenhouse effect"&,'(&,)( A runaway greenhouse effect occurs if positi%e feedbacks lead to the e%aporation of all greenhouse gases into the atmosphere"&,,( A runaway greenhouse effect in%ol%ing carbon dioxide and water %apor is thought to ha%e occurred on =enus"&,-(

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect *****

Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect refers to circumstances where the short wavelengths of visible light from the sun pass through a transparent medium and are absorbed, but the longer wavelengths of the infrared re-radiation from the heated objects are unable to pass through that medium. The trapping of the long wavelength radiation leads to more heating and a higher resultant temperature. Besides the heating of an automobile by sunlight through the windshield and the namesake example of heating the greenhouse by sunlight passing through sealed, transparent windows, the greenhouse effect has been widely used to describe the trapping of Index excess heat by the rising concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide strongly absorbs infrared and does not allow as much of it to escape into space.

Sunlight warms your car Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide Global warming ole in the absence of water on !enus"

major part of the efficiency of the heating of an actual greenhouse is the trapping of the air so that the energy is not lost by convection. !eeping the hot air from escaping out the top is part of the practical "greenhouse effect", but it is common usage to refer to the infrared trapping as the "greenhouse effect" in atmospheric applications where the air trapping is not applicable.

#yper$hysics***** %hermodynamics

R Nave

#o Back

Greenhouse Effect Example

Bright sunlight will effectively warm your car on a cold, clear day by the greenhouse effect. The longer infrared wavelengths radiated by sun-warmed objects do not pass readily through the glass. The entrapment of this energy warms the interior of the vehicle. The trapping of the hot air so that it cannot rise and lose the energy by convection also plays a major role.

Index Blackb ody radiati on concep ts

Short wa&elengths of &isible light are readily transmitted through thetransparent windshield. '(therwise you wouldn)t be able to see through it*+

$horter wavelengths of ultraviolet light are largely blocked by glass since they have greater %uantum energies which have absorption mechanismsin the glass. &ven though you may be uncomfortably warm with bright sunlight streaming through, you will not be sunburned. #yper$hysics***** %hermodynamics
R Nave

#o Back

Increase in Greenhouse Gases

The increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide, one of the three major atmospheric contributers to the greenhouse effect has been carefully documented at the 'auna (oa )bservatory in *awaii. The +,,- rate of increase was about -../ per year. The interesting cyclic variations represent the reduction in carbon dioxide by photosynthesis during the growing season in the northern hemisphere. 0urrent analysis suggests that the combustion of fossil fuels is a major contributer to the increase in the carbon dioxide concentration, such contributions being 1 to 2 times the effect of deforestation 3!raushaar 4 5istinen6.

Index 5efere nces !raush aar 4 5istine n Trefil

Increase in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

The 'auna (oa monitoring station reports the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere today as about 78- parts per million compared to 7+2 ppm in +,28 when modern measurements were initiated.

'easurements of air bubbles trapped in the #reenland ice sheet indicate concentrations of 19- ppm in preindustrial times.

%hese are sketches of the graphs produced in the I$,, -../ report of the increase in key greenhouse gases. %hey make clear that most of the increase of the last thousand years has occurred in the past -.. years. %he radiati&e forcing of these gases is related to their concentration .

#yper$hysics***** %hermodynamics

R Nave

#o Back

Contributers to Greenhouse Effect

Those gas molecules in the &arth:s atmosphere with three or more atoms are called "greenhouse gases" because they can capture outgoing infrared energy from the &arth, thereby warming the planet. The greenhouse gases include water vapor with three atoms 3*1)6, o;one 3)76, carbon dioxide 30)16, and methane 30*.6. lso, trace %uantities of chloro-fluoro-carbons 30<0:s6 can have a disproportionately large effect. Index 5eferen ce !rausha ar 4 5istinen

To attempt to %uantify the effects of greenhouse gases on the global temperature, climatologists use the "radiative forcing" of the current atmospheric content of these gases. Increase in greenhouse gases Greenhouse effect

#yper$hysics***** %hermodynamics

R Nave

#o Back

Global Warming
n issue of major concern is the possible effect of the burning of fossil fuels and other contributers to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The action of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in trapping infrared radiation is called the greenhouse effect. It may measurably increase the overall average temperature of the &arth, which could have disastrous conse%uences. $ometimes the effects of the greenhouse effect are stated in terms of the albedo of the &arth, the overall average reflection coefficient.

This graphic of the global air temperature was posted by =hil >ones on behalf of the 0limatic 5esearch ?nit, ?!. The key reference used wasBrohan, et al. nother depiction of the mean temperatures in the northern hemisphere was drawn from @) .

&ssentially any kind of tabulation you access will tell the same story. The temperature has gradually risen over the last +2- years.

Because the potential conse%uences of global warming in terms of loss of snow cover, sea level rise, change in weather patterns, etc are so great, it is a major societal concern. )n the other hand, proposed measures to reduce human contributions to greenhouse gases can also have great conse%uences. The large potential impact combined with the ambiguities of the science has given rise to many passionate extremes.

$tephen $chneider of $tanford seems to me to be one of the more balanced voices. *is website is a good source for relevant data. *e discusses the problems in the context of the &arth:s energy balance and the changes in the concentrations of greenhouse gases.

http://hyperphysics.phy0astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/grnhse.html ******
Global warming has been in the spotlight for sometime now, and one process that gets to be blamed for the increase in the global warming is the greenhouse effect. Whenever, there is a debate on global warming, the topic of greenhouse effect definitely comes up. However, one of the most important things that gets undermined is the fact that survival of life on this planet would have been impossible had there been no greenhouse effect. Before, we divulge some details on what causes the greenhouse effect, it is important that we first understand what exactly is greenhouse effect.

What is Greenhouse Effect? Sunlight is one of the major sources of energy for living organisms. part from helping us with various energy needs, it also helps in !eeping the atmosphere warm. When sunrays stri!e the surface of the earth, they are partly absorbed, and partly reflected bac! into the atmosphere. "hese reflected rays, !nown as infrared radiations, are captured by #greenhouse gases#, which helps in !eeping our atmosphere warm. "hese greenhouse gases are carbon$monoxide, carbon$dioxide, methane, and water$vapors. lthough, these gases form only around %& of our atmosphere, they are extremely vital in maintaining the ecological balance and sustaining life on this planet. Without the presence of these gases, the temperature of the earth would have been lesser than '()*, which means that survival of living species wouldn#t be possible. "he greenhouse effect can be thought of a process through which nature maintains a balance in the atmosphere. However, human activity in the past hundred years or so, has caused an increase in the percentage of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which has in turn increased the average temperature on earth. +et us now ta!e a loo! at some factors that cause greenhouse effect. Greenhouse Effect: Causes Deforestation ,ne of the man$made causes of the greenhouse effect is deforestation. -eforestation increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. lso, due to the disappearance of trees, photosynthesis cannot ta!e place. -eforestation is rampant today due to the burden of our needs on land. "he levels of deforestation have increased by about .& in recent times. lso, the burning of wood causes it to decay, therefore releasing more carbon$dioxide into the atmosphere. Burning of Fossils

Greenhouse gases can also be released into the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels, oil, coal and gas. "hese materials are used increasingly and rampantly in industries. /ost factories also produce many gases which last for a longer time in the atmosphere. "hese gases contribute to the greenhouse effect and also increase the global warming on the planet. "hese gases are not naturally available in the atmosphere. "herefore industries are also a major cause of the greenhouse effect. Electrical Appliances ,ther man$made causes of the increase in the greenhouse effect is the emission of greenhouse gases by electrical appliances. 0ven the humble refrigerator in the house emits gases which contribute to the greenhouse effect. "hese gases are !nown as *hlorofluorocarbons 1*2*s3 and are used in refrigerators, aerosol cans, some foaming agents in the pac!aging industry, fire extinguisher chemicals, and cleaners used in the electronic industry. Some processes of the cement manufacturing industries also act as a cause towards the greenhouse effect. Population Growth 4opulation growth is an indirect contributor and one of the major causes of the greenhouse effect. With the increase in population, the needs and wants of people increase. "his increases the manufacturing and the industry process. "his results in the increase of the release of industrial gases which cataly5e the greenhouse effect. "hese were some factors that cause an increase in the greenhouse effect. s mentioned before, it is not the greenhouse effect that causes global warming, it is the unrestrained human activity that has caused an increase in the greenhouse gases, which in turn have led to global warming. "he need of the hour is to spare a thought on the damage that we might be causing to the environment. We may not live long enough to witness the repercussions of our actions, but our future generations might have to pay for our actions.

http://www.bu11le.com/articles/causes0greenhouse0effect.html