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Greenhouse gasses are all around us. In fact, you breathe out carbon dioxide every time you exhale, and when you drink water, you're conusming H2O, which in vapor form is also a greenhouse gas.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe greenhouse gases do not form a shell around the earth although this is the image given on Fox News and CNN. The illustration is usually heat "wavy arrows" bouncing off the earth's surface and bing reflected back down by the shell of greenhouse gases.
NO, NO, NO!
The greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and N2O) are mixed into the atmosphere pretty much equally. This means there is no shell of greenhouse gas. The gases are in contact with the Earth's surface and stretch up to the outer limits of the atmosphere.
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoGreenhouse gases are mixed equally all through the atmosphere, not in a shell of GHGs abve the surface of the Earth
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago200 kms in the atmosphere.
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Which part of the earth acts like the glass in a greenhouse and traps heat in?
the reason is that certain gases, dubbed greenhouse gases by us scientists have the ability to trap heat radiation from the suns rays in our atmosphere, heat that would normally dissipate into the vacuum of space. those gases include methane and carbon dioxide. when in suitable amounts those gases are actually beneficial to life on earth as without them the earth would be far too cold to support any interesting life. unfortunately human activities are releasing huge amounts of said greenhouse gases into the air, meaning that more heat rays are trapped and hey presto, the world heats up
What are some natural types of greenhouse gases?
Water vapour, methane, carbon dioxide. In fact one of the atmosphere's normal functions is its greenhouse effect, without which the Earth would be far, far colder. The risk with rising levels of these gases is in going too far the other way.
What planet has liquid water at its surface and has enoughgravity to hold onto gases?
Earth is the only one we know of so far :)
Are greenhouse gases and natural gases ultimately the same?
A1. Natural gas is methane, CH4. It is a greenhouse gas, but far from the only one. Carbon dioxide, CO2, is the one that we are most concerned about.A2. But man made gases such as sulfur dioxide, and the fluorocarbons, (and more) also play their parts.
What is the function of the green house gases?
Greenhouse gases are gases that help trap the sun's warmth in our atmosphere and, at normal levels, keep the earth at a comfortable temperature suitable for human existence. Water vapour is abundant in the atmosphere, but is sometimes called a greenhouse enhancer, as its atmospheric concentration varies with temperature, providing positive feedback to enhance changes already occurring. While methane is far less abundant than carbon dioxide, its effect on global warming can be far greater. In the absence of human activity, the amount of carbon dioxide, the most abundant greenhouse gas apart from water vapour, remains relatively constant over a long period of time. There is, of course, a recycling of carbon to carbon dioxide and back, as plants take in carbon dioxide, convert it to organic matter, then die and decay (or are burnt in forest fires), once again giving off carbon dioxide, but this natural cycle does not alter the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A slight reduction in greenhouse gases would result in global cooling, while a slight increae would result in global warming and climate change.
How do green house gases determine the temperature of the lower atmosphere?
Greenhouse gases readily allow the sun's warmth to reach the surface of the earth. The earth then warms up and begins to radiate heat at longer wavelengths that are blocked by greenhouse gases. A certain amount of greenhouse gases is essential for life on earth as we know it. Without these gases, the world would be far colder than it is now. But the recent increases in concentrations of greenhouse gases are beginning to raise the world's temperature towards unsustainable levels.
How far do greenhouse gases extend into the atmosphere?
Greenhouse gases extend very high. They extend in the troposphere.
Which part of the earth acts like the glass in a greenhouse and traps heat in?
the reason is that certain gases, dubbed greenhouse gases by us scientists have the ability to trap heat radiation from the suns rays in our atmosphere, heat that would normally dissipate into the vacuum of space. those gases include methane and carbon dioxide. when in suitable amounts those gases are actually beneficial to life on earth as without them the earth would be far too cold to support any interesting life. unfortunately human activities are releasing huge amounts of said greenhouse gases into the air, meaning that more heat rays are trapped and hey presto, the world heats up
What are some natural types of greenhouse gases?
Water vapour, methane, carbon dioxide. In fact one of the atmosphere's normal functions is its greenhouse effect, without which the Earth would be far, far colder. The risk with rising levels of these gases is in going too far the other way.
How does water affect the greenhouse effect?
The great sheets of frozen ice and snow in the Arctic and Antarctic regions act to reflect some of the sun's heat back into space, thus keeping the planet cooler. If all this ice and snow disappears the rate of Earth's warming would increase.
What is the gas that absorbs the heat warming the atmosphere?
Generally, it is radiation from the sun and geothermal energy that warm the planet. Greenhouse gases help regulate the temperature on the surface though. A gas which is important is carbon dioxide. There are others too, such as water vapour and methane.
What planet has liquid water at its surface and has enoughgravity to hold onto gases?
Earth is the only one we know of so far :)
Why is Earth's air warm?
The sun warms the surface of the earth. This heat moves up into the atmosphere where it is absorbed by the greenhouse gases which warm up. This is how the air is warm. The warmth of the air also depends on how far from the equator you are. For example if you live in Greenland the air is generally cooler, and if you live in Hawaii or Brazil the air is generally warmer.
Should the earth always had a greenhouse effect?
The earth has always had the greenhouse effect. It is what stops us from freezing so far away from the sun.
How does the atmosphere act like a greenhouse?
the reason is that certain gases, dubbed greenhouse gases by us scientists have the ability to trap heat radiation from the suns rays in our atmosphere, heat that would normally dissipate into the vacuum of space. those gases include methane and carbon dioxide. when in suitable amounts those gases are actually beneficial to life on earth as without them the earth would be far too cold to support any interesting life. unfortunately human activities are releasing huge amounts of said greenhouse gases into the air, meaning that more heat rays are trapped and hey presto, the world heats up
Is the greenhouse effect harmless?
There is a natural greenhouse effect that has kept the earth warm enough for life for many millions of years. There is now an enhanced (or accelerated) greenhouse effect which is causing global warming. The consequences of the enhanced greenhouse effect are certainly not harmless. Climate scientists predict many dangers in the future, including famines, heat waves, species extinction and sea level rising to dangerous levels.
What are green house gases?
A greenhouse gas is an atmospheric gas that absorbs and retains energy from infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases must have at least three atoms, to vibrate and turn the radiation into heat.Energy from the sun heats the earth's surface and atmosphere, which drives the earth's weather and climate. The earth's surface radiates some of this solar energy back into space. Certain atmospheric gases are called greenhouse gases (GHGs) because they help trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.Water Vapor is the primary greenhouse gas and makes up about 75 to 80 percent of all warming.Carbon Dioxide is the second most common and makes up about 5 to 25% of the warming. Man is a contributor to this gas.Other gases include virtually all gases with three or more molecules in them.Some examples of the gases are:-Most carbon oxides like carbon dioxideHydrocarbons like methaneWater Vapor is, by far, the most common (90%)These gases are present in the atmosphere and the reflect the terrestrial radiation emitted by the Earth at night. They help in maintaining warm temperature and their absence can cause severe temperature drop resulting in unsuitable conditions for life to survive. But too much of it can cause global warming.When you get down to the actual factors. A gas that is considered a greenhouse gas is any gas that has three or more atoms in each molecule. Oxygen has two molecules and therefore does not have the mass to hold energy, while O3 (Ozone) has three and can hold more energy.
