Which greenhouse gas is the most powerful at trapping heat within the Earth's atmosphere and how can greenhouse gasses trap the heat in the atmosphere?
CO2 is one of the main pollutants that traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere with the greenhouse effect and leads to an increase in the average global temperature.@Rk Naresh
Definitely, by quantity emitted, CO2 is the one that contributes the most to global warming but, due to the Global Warming Power, other gases such as methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases have a higher GWP potential.
On its own, methane is 30 times stronger than CO2. It contributes between 10-25% of global warming and though it remains in the atmosphere for less time than CO2 does. Imagine these gases as a cozy blanket enveloping our planet, helping to maintain a warmer temperature than it would have otherwise. Greenhouse gases consist of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor. This is how much a gas called SF6 (sulphur hexafluoride) is stronger than CO2 in terms of global warming potential. You read right: SF6 is the most potent greenhouse gas in existence with a global warming potential of 23,900 times the baseline of CO2. A powerful greenhouse gas, able to absorb far more heat than carbon dioxide, methane is made of one carbon and four hydrogen atoms. It is found in very small quantities in the atmosphere but is able to make a big impact on warming. Methane gas is also used as a fuel.On a per molecule basis, chlorofluorocarbons are very potent. Methane is also pretty potent. However, water vapor is the most effective because there is so much more of it in the atmosphere. 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 level of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere has been rising consistently for decades and traps extra heat near Earth's surface, causing temperatures to rise. Greenhouse gases act similarly to the glass in a greenhouse: they absorb the sun's heat that radiates from the Earth's surface, trap it in the atmosphere and prevent it from escaping into space. The greenhouse effect keeps the Earth's temperature warmer than it would otherwise be, supporting life on Earth. Greenhouse gases effectively absorb thermal infrared radiation, emitted by the Earth's surface, by the atmosphere itself due to the same gases, and by clouds. Atmospheric radiation is emitted to all sides, including downward to the Earth's surface. Methane (CH4) persists in the atmosphere for around 12 years, which is less time than carbon dioxide, but it is much more potent in terms of the greenhouse effect. In fact, pound for pound, its global warming impact is almost 30 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Methane is more than 28 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Over the last two centuries, methane concentrations in the atmosphere have more than doubled, largely due to human-related activities.
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