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Greenhouse gases are infrared active, meaning that they absorb and emit infrared radiation in the same long wavelength range as what is emitted by the Earth's surface, clouds and atmosphere. [19]: 2233 99% of the Earth's dry atmosphere (excluding water vapor) is made up of nitrogen (N 2) (78%) and oxygen (O 2) (21%).
Gases which can absorb and emit longwave radiation are said to be infrared active [61] and act as greenhouse gases. 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
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 ...
Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CO 2.It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature and at normally-encountered concentrations it is odorless.
On Earth, carbon dioxide is the most relevant, direct greenhouse gas that is influenced by human activities. Water is responsible for most (about 36–70%) of the total greenhouse effect, and the role of water vapor as a greenhouse gas depends on temperature. Carbon dioxide is often mentioned in the context of its increased influence as a ...
The individual absorption spectra of major greenhouse gases plus Rayleigh scattering are shown in the lower panel. [1] An atmospheric window is a region of the electromagnetic spectrum that can pass through the atmosphere of Earth. The optical, infrared and radio windows comprise the three main atmospheric windows. [2]
Methane molecules react with hydroxyl radicals (OH)—the "major chemical scavenger in the troposphere" that "controls the atmospheric lifetime of most gases in the troposphere". [60] Through this CH 4 oxidation process, atmospheric methane is destroyed and water vapor and carbon dioxide are produced.
Atmospheric chemistry is a branch of atmospheric science that studies the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planets. This multidisciplinary approach of research draws on environmental chemistry, physics, meteorology, computer modeling, oceanography, geology and volcanology, climatology and other disciplines to understand both natural and human-induced changes in atmospheric ...