GREEN HOUSE EFFECT There are two common meanings of the term "greenhouse effect".

There is a "natural" greenhouse effect that kee s the Earth!s climate warm an" ha#ita#le. There is also the "man$ ma"e" greenhouse effect% which is the enhancement of Earth!s natural greenhouse effect #& the a""ition of greenhouse gases from the #urning of fossil fuels 'mainl& etroleum% coal% an" natural gas(. )n or"er to un"erstan" how the greenhouse effect o erates% we nee" to first un"erstan" "infrare" ra"iation". Greenhouse gases re"uce the rate at which the Earth!s surface loses infrare" ra"iation to outer s ace. *ecause one wa& to increase the tem erature of an&thing is to re"uce its rate of energ& loss to its surroun"ings% this makes the Earth!s surface an" lower atmos here warmer than the& woul" otherwise #e. +ou can think of greenhouse gases as sort of a "#lanket" for infrare" ra"iation $$ the& kee the Earth!s surface an" lower la&ers of the atmos here warmer% an" the u er la&ers col"er% than if the greenhouse gases were not there. ,#out -.$/.0 of the Earth!s natural greenhouse effect is "ue to water 1a or an" clou"s. 2ost of the rest is "ue to car#on "io3i"e% methane% an" a few other minor gases. 4hile the remaining gases in the atmos here 'e.g. nitrogen% o3&gen( also a#sor# an" emit a small amount of infrare" ra"iation% their ra"iati1e effect on tem erature is so weak that the& can #e neglecte". 4hile methane is a much more otent greenhouse gas than car#on "io3i"e% there is far less of it in the atmos here. )t is the car#on "io3i"e concentration that is increasing% "ue to the #urning of fossil fuels 'as well as from some rainforest #urning(. Com are" to a re$in"ustrial atmos heric concentration of aroun" 56. arts er million ' m(% the a1erage concentration has increase" to close to 7.. m in 5.85. This causes the man$ma"e ortion of the greenhouse effect% an" it is #elie1e" #& man& scientists to #e res onsi#le for the glo#al warming of the last 9. &ears or more.

,lso% the concentration of methane% although e3tremel& small 'measure" in arts er #illion(% has also increase" in recent "eca"es contri#uting somewhat to the strengthening of the greenhouse effect. The reasons for this increase% though% remain uncertain. 4hat the Greenhouse Effect )sn!t Since there is consi"era#le misun"erstan"ing an" misconce tions regar"ing the greenhouse effect% it is useful to list a few of the things the greenhouse effect is not: 8( The greenhouse effect "oes not o erate like a greenhouse that lants are grown in. ;lant greenhouses sta& warm #ecause the& are enclose"% re1enting warm air from esca ing. )n the o en atmos here% warm air that #uil"s u at the surface rises '"con1ects"( an" mi3es with air from higher altitu"es% limiting warming near the surface. The atmos heric greenhouse effect is ra"iati1e% not con1ecti1e. 5( The greenhouse effect "oes not re<uire solar ra"iation 'sunlight( to o erate. The greenhouse effect woul" still e3ist if there was no sun% an" the climate s&stem was instea" warme" from #elow #& geothermal energ&. =( The greenhouse effect cannot #e "emonstrate" with a >ar or other enclosure #ecause there is too little greenhouse gas in1ol1e". Thousan"s of feet of atmos heric "e th are re<uire" for the greenhouse effect to ha1e a measura#le effect on tem erature. The greenhouse effect is entirel& "ue to the fact that the atmos here a#sor#s an" emits infrare" energ&% com#ine" with a heat source to warm the #ottom of the atmos here 'in our case% the Sun( an" the col" "e ths of outer s ace a#o1e the to of the atmos here. The greenhouse gases 'an" clou"s( re"uce the a#ilit& of the Earth!s surface to cool% thus raising its tem erature a#o1e what it woul" #e without those greenhouse gases.