Greenhouse gas definition of greenhouse gas by merriam. Highwood line in figure 1 is the instrumental record which stretches back approximately 140 years, the blue line is the reconstructed temperature deduced from tree rings, ice. Greenhouse gases occur naturally and allow us to survive on earth by warming air near earths surface. A greenhouse gas sometimes abbreviated ghg is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant. A greenhouse gas is a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation in the atmosphere. These changes are affecting many human activities, including agriculture. A greenhouse gas sometimes abbreviated ghg is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range. The primary greenhouse gases in earths atmosphere are water vapor h 2 o, carbon dioxide co 2, methane ch 4, nitrous oxide n 2 o, and ozone o 3. Increasing emissions of greenhouse gases due to human activities worldwide have led to a substantial increase in atmospheric concentrations of longlived and other greenhouse gases see the atmospheric. Greenhouse gas definition of greenhouse gas by the free. Carbon dioxide co2 and other greenhouse gases turn. Greenhouse gas basics msu college of agriculture and.
The attribution of the presentday total greenhouse effect pdf, j. Greenhouse gas definition, any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, ozone. The sun powers earths climate, radiating energy at very short wavelengths, predominately in the visible or nearvisible e. Greenhouse gas definition, any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and the fluorocarbons. These gases allow sunlight shortwave radiation to freely pass through the earths atmosphere and heat the land and oceans. The current atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is 370 ppm, meaning that in samples of one million molecules of ambient air we would expect to find, on. Greenhouse gases include water vapor, co2, methane, nitrous oxide n2o and other gases.
Human activities are now increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which leads to changes in climate. The study report on the greenhouse gases and their impact on global warming. What are greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect. Without the greenhouse effect the earths average global temperature would be much colder and life on earth as we know. Greenhouse gas definition and meaning collins english. However, the misnomer greenhouse effect has perpetuated, and there are a number of aspects of the effect which are poorly understood outside the atmospheric sciences.
Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and nitrous oxide. This indicator describes emissions of greenhouse gases worldwide. There are lots of terms which get used, such as greenhouse gases, co2, co2e. A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs infrared radiation ir and radiates heat in all directions. The heat caused by infrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gasessuch as water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and methane, which slows its escape from the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor are the most important greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect is a sustained, natural phenomenon. Greenhouse gases cause the greenhouse effect on planets. Carbon dioxide is defined to have a gwp of 1 over all time periods. Hendersonsellers the greenhouse effect is now commonly accepted by the scientific community, politicians and the general public. Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Environmental and ecological chemistry greenhouse gases and global warming timothy j. Pdf the greenhouse effect is a leading factor in keeping the earth warm because it keeps. Wallington, jayaraman srinivasan, ole john nielsen, ellie j. Some countries produce far more greenhouse gases than others. In order to understand greenhouse gas, we must first understand the larger concept of the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gas, any gas capable of absorbing infrared radiation net heat energy emitted from earths surface and reradiating it back to earths surface, thus contributing to the phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect.
1576 720 1258 408 1273 1397 751 33 1233 1504 449 541 846 658 37 1191 368 1001 1508 130 1408 292 1086 423 799 347 1398 160 1094 1260 1184 40 559 495 499 151 1458 768 97 1107 181 194 757 227 369