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This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 21 January 2025. Gas in an atmosphere with certain absorption characteristics This article is about the physical properties of greenhouse gases. For how human activities are adding to greenhouse gases, see Greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases trap some of the heat that results when sunlight heats ...
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."
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 ...
An exact calculation using the MODTRAN model, over all wavelengths and including methane and ozone greenhouse gasses, as shown in the plot above, gives, for tropical latitudes, an outgoing flux = 298.645 W/m 2 for current CO 2 levels and = 295.286 W/m 2 after CO 2 doubling, i.e. a radiative forcing of 1.1%, under clear sky conditions, as well ...
Methane (CH 4) is one of the more potent greenhouse gases and is mainly produced by the digestion or decay of biological organisms. It is considered the second most important greenhouse gas, [10] yet the methane cycle in the atmosphere is currently only poorly understood. [11] The amount of methane produced and absorbed yearly varies widely. [10]
Water vapor (H2O) is the most abundant greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases are a natural part of the atmosphere and include carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH 4, persisting 9-15 yrs with a greenhouse warming potential (GWP) 22 times that of CO 2), nitrous oxide (N 2 O persists 120 years and has a GWP of 310), ozone (O 3), hydrofluorocarbons ...
For example, in peatlands, the mass amount of dead, but not decaying, organic matter results in relatively slow diffusion of methane through the soil. [38] Additionally, because methane can travel more quickly through soil than water, diffusion plays a much bigger role in wetlands with drier, more loosely compacted soil.
Greenhouse gas emissions can be divided into those that arise from the combustion of fuels to produce energy, and those generated by other processes. Around two thirds of greenhouse gas emissions arise from the combustion of fuels. [108] Energy may be produced at the point of consumption, or by a generator for consumption by others. Thus ...