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This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 9 December 2024. Gas in an atmosphere with certain absorption characteristics This article is about the physical properties of greenhouse gases. For how human activities are adding to greenhouse gases, see Greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases trap some of the heat that results when sunlight heats ...
Most gases whose molecules have two different atoms (such as carbon monoxide, CO), and all gases with three or more atoms (including H 2 O and CO 2), are infrared active and act as greenhouse gases. (Technically, this is because when these molecules vibrate , those vibrations modify the molecular dipole moment , or asymmetry in the distribution ...
Earth constantly absorbs energy from sunlight and emits thermal radiation as infrared light. In the long run, Earth radiates the same amount of energy per second as it absorbs, because the amount of thermal radiation emitted depends upon temperature: If Earth absorbs more energy per second than it radiates, Earth heats up and the thermal radiation will increase, until balance is restored; if ...
A few examples of the major greenhouse gases are water, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and CFCs. These gases can absorb infrared radiation from the Earth's surface as it passes through the atmosphere. The most influential greenhouse gas is water vapor. It frequently occurs in high concentrations, may transition to and from an ...
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are responsible for a majority of the absorption of longwave radiation in the atmosphere. The most important of these gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. [22] The absorption of longwave radiation by gases depends on the specific absorption bands of the gases in the atmosphere. [19]
Water vapor is a gas that absorbs many wavelengths of Infrared (IR) energy in the Earth's atmosphere, and these wavelength ranges that can partially reach the surface are coming through what is called 'water vapor windows'.
Attempts to limit greenhouse gas emissions are centre-stage as the world tackles climate change.
The idealized greenhouse model is based on the fact that certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and water vapour, are transparent to the high-frequency solar radiation, but are much more opaque to the lower frequency infrared radiation leaving Earth's surface.