The Greenhouse Effect

A quick review

The Greenhouse Effect

A natural process that keeps the surface
of the earth at a habitable temperature.
Without the greenhouse effect, surface temperatures would be about 60 F colder. There would be NO liquid water!

How does it work?

Image source: kids.earth.NASA.gov

How does it work?

Short wavelength (ultraviolet) radiation from
Sun reaches Earth Earth warms and emits long wavelength (infrared) radiation back towards space Greenhouse gases in Earths atmosphere trap some of the infrared radiation near Earth
Think of your car on a sunny day: the sunlight enters through the closed windows and warms the car interior. That heat cant escape back out through the glass.

What are the main Greenhouse Gases?

Water vapor (H2O) Carbon dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4) Nitrous oxide (N2O) These were all present in atmosphere before humans, but we are adding more

Greenhouse Gases allow ~75% of short wavelength energy from Sun to reach Earth.

Only 15-30% of the energy re-radiated by Earth escapes back through greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Image created by Robert A. Rohde / Global Warming Art http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/File:Atmospheric_Transmission_png

Greenhouse Gas Efficiency

Gas Relative greenhouse efficiency per molecule Concentration in Relative the atmosphere efficiency x (ppm) concentration (ppm) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4) Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Ozone (O3) Chlorofluoro carbons (CFCs)

1 30 160 2000 21,000

350 1.7 0.31 0.06 0.00026

350 51 49.6 120 5.46

Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Sources

Methane (CH4) Buuurp!
Enteric fermentation (cow burps!) Landfill emissions Rice cultivation Natural gas use Melting of permafrost in Arctic Agricultural processes (fertilizers)

Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Sources

What about CFCs? Very powerful greenhouse gas, but people have been very successful at reducing emissions (Montreal Protocol)

Effect on Upper Atmosphere

The Greenhouse Effect causes warming at
Earths surface, but cooling in upper atmosphere
If more of Earths emitted longwave radiation is held close to the surface, it is not available to cause warming in the upper atmosphere More noctilucent cloud formation in the Mesosphere? (see Noctilucent Clouds.ppt)