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Definition. The greenhouse effect on Earth is defined as: "The infrared radiative effect of all infrared absorbing constituents in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases (GHGs), clouds, and some aerosols absorb terrestrial radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface and elsewhere in the atmosphere." [15] : 2232.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the gases in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of planets such as the Earth. What distinguishes them from other gases is that they absorb the wavelengths of radiation that a planet emits , resulting in the greenhouse effect . [ 1 ]
Greenhouse gas ( GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, is one of the most important factors in causing climate change.
The warming from the greenhouse effect has a logarithmic relationship with the concentration of greenhouse gases. This means that every additional fraction of CO 2 and the other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has a slightly smaller warming effect than the fractions before it as the total concentration increases.
Greenhouse gases are transparent to sunlight, and thus allow it to pass through the atmosphere to heat the Earth's surface. The Earth radiates it as heat, and greenhouse gases absorb a portion of it. This absorption slows the rate at which heat escapes into space, trapping heat near the Earth's surface and warming it over time.
Climate change feedbacks are natural processes which impact how much global temperatures will increase for a given amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Positive feedbacks amplify global warming while negative feedbacks diminish it. [2] : 2233 Feedbacks influence both the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the amount of temperature ...
For a fair comparison, emissions should be analyzed in terms of the amount of CO 2 and GHG per capita. [10] Considering GHG per capita emissions in 2022, China's levels (10.95) are almost 60 percent those of the United States (17.90) and less than a sixth of those of Qatar (67.38 – the country with the highest emissions of GHG per capita in ...
The lower and middle atmosphere, where nearly all weather occurs, are heating due to the greenhouse effect. [31] Evaporation and atmospheric moisture content increase as temperatures rise. [32] Water vapour is a greenhouse gas, so this process is a self-reinforcing feedback. [33] The excess water vapour also gets caught up in storms.