Yes, infrared radiation can indeed pass through the Earth's atmosphere, but its interaction with certain gases in the atmosphere leads to important effects, including the greenhouse effect. Infrared radiation, also known as heat radiation, is a form of electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths than visible light. While some infrared radiation does pass through the atmosphere, certain wavelengths are absorbed and re-emitted by greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor (H2O).

In terms of the type of radiation that is blocked the most by Earth's atmosphere, the answer is ultraviolet (UV) radiation, specifically the shorter wavelengths of UV radiation. The ozone layer, a region of the atmosphere containing high concentrations of ozone (O3) molecules, plays a crucial role in absorbing and blocking a significant portion of incoming UV radiation from the Sun.

Ultraviolet radiation is divided into three categories based on wavelength:

The absorption of UV radiation by the ozone layer is crucial for protecting life on Earth from the harmful effects of excessive UV exposure. The absorption of UV radiation by ozone molecules leads to the dissociation of ozone into oxygen molecules, preventing much of the UV radiation from reaching the surface.

In summary, while infrared radiation can pass through the Earth's atmosphere, certain wavelengths of it are absorbed and re-emitted by greenhouse gases. The ozone layer in the atmosphere blocks a significant portion of shorter-wavelength ultraviolet (UV) radiation, particularly UVC radiation, protecting the Earth's surface from its harmful effects.

Dr Gaurav H Tandon thank you for your contribution to the discussion

The main atmospheric constituents that prevents infrared radiation from reaching the Earth's surface is water vapour, and, to a lesser extent, Carbon Dioxide. Infrared waves have longer wavelengths than visible light and can pass through dense regions of gas and dust in space with less scattering and absorption. Thus, infrared energy can also reveal objects in the universe that cannot be seen in visible light using optical telescopes.Atmospheric radiation is the flow of electromagnetic energy between the sun and the Earth's surface as it is influenced by clouds, aerosols, and gases in the Earth's atmosphere. It includes both solar radiation and long-wave radiation. Some wavelengths of infrared radiation pass through the Earth's atmosphere, while others are blocked - this gives rise to 'infrared windows' which can be measured from the ground. Ozone layer acts as a shield and does not allow ultraviolet radiation from sun to reach earth. It does not prevent infra-red radiation from sun to reach earth. Long-wavelength radio waves and infrared rays also do not reach the surface. The electromagnetic waves we can generally observe on the ground consist of visible light, which is difficult for the atmosphere to absorb, near-infrared rays, and some electromagnetic waves.It is infrared radiation that produces the warm feeling on our bodies. Most of the solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere, and much of what reaches the Earth's surface is radiated back into the atmosphere to become heat energy. Some of this energy is emitted back from the Earth's surface in the form of infrared radiation. Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other trace gases in Earth's atmosphere absorb the longer wavelengths of outgoing infrared radiation from Earth's surface. It varies by type of cloud, thickness, altitude, angle of the sun and likely many other factors. As a generality, clouds block a part of visible, UV and IR light depending on a number of factors especially depth of the cloud. Some of the EM waves are absorbed, some reflected and others pass through. This happens because Earth receives solar radiation only during the daylight hours; but emits infrared radiation during both the day and the night hours. The atmosphere is transparent to visible light, but mostly opaque to infrared. Although ground-based telescopes can see through the atmosphere for part of the infrared wavelength range, much of the infrared range is impossible to see through the Earth's atmosphere, as illustrated below. But at altitudes of 10 km or more, we can see most of the infrared band. In contrast, our atmosphere blocks most ultraviolet light (UV) and all X-rays and gamma-rays from reaching the surface of Earth.Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other trace gases in Earth's atmosphere absorb the longer wavelengths of outgoing infrared radiation from Earth's surface. The earth's atmosphere absorbs the majority of ultraviolet, X-, and gamma rays, which are all shorter wavelengths than visible light. High energy X- and gamma rays would damage organisms and cells of creatures if they were to reach the earth's surface directly. Fortunately, the atmosphere protects life on earth.