How do greenhouse gases warm the lower atmosphere and what happens to solar radiation after it reaches Earth How do greenhouse gasses warm the lower atmosphere?
Greenhouse gases warm the lower atmosphere through a process known as the greenhouse effect.
Here's a step-by-step explanation of how this process works:
In summary, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act like a blanket, allowing solar radiation to pass through to warm the Earth's surface but trapping some of the resulting infrared radiation. This trapped heat warms the lower atmosphere and contributes to the overall temperature of the planet.
Certain gases in the atmosphere absorb energy, slowing or preventing the loss of heat to space. Those gases are known as “greenhouse gases.” They act like a blanket, making the earth warmer than it would otherwise be. This process, commonly known as the “greenhouse effect,” is natural and necessary to support life. The Earth radiates energy at wavelengths much longer than the Sun because it is colder. Part of this longwave radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases which then radiate energy into all directions, including downwards and thereby trapping heat in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases let the solar radiation reach the Earth's surface, but they absorb infrared radiation emitted by the Earth and thereby lead to the heating of the surface of the planet. One needs to distinguish between the natural greenhouse effect and the enhanced greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gas molecules in the atmosphere absorb light, preventing some of it from escaping the Earth. This heats up the atmosphere and raises the planet's average temperature. The greenhouse effect is the way in which heat is trapped close to Earth's surface by “greenhouse gases.” These heat-trapping gases can be thought of as a blanket wrapped around Earth, keeping the planet toastier than it would be without them. The Earth absorbs most of the energy reaching its surface, a small fraction is reflected. In total approximately 70% of incoming radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface while around 30% is reflected back to space and does not heat the surface. After passing through the atmosphere, solar radiation reaches the oceanic and continental land surface and is reflected or absorbed. Finally, the surface returns it to outer space in the form of long-wave radiation. Some of this incoming radiation is reflected off clouds, some is absorbed by the atmosphere, and some passes through to the Earth's surface. Larger aerosol particles in the atmosphere interact with and absorb some of the radiation, causing the atmosphere to warm.Radiant energy exits the Sun and interacts with Earth's atmosphere on its way to the ground or water surface. Solar radiance that makes it through the atmosphere and reaches the planet's surface can be reflected, transmitted, or absorbed and reradiated. Nearly 70% of solar radiation is absorbed by the earth's atmosphere and oceans, and the rest is reflected back into space. The absorbed radiation is re-emitted as infrared radiation. The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in Earth's atmosphere trap the Sun's heat. This process makes Earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are transparent to incoming (short-wave) radiation from the sun but block infrared (long-wave) radiation from leaving the earth's atmosphere. This greenhouse effect traps radiation from the sun and warms the planet's surface.
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