Universitatea de tiine Agronomice i Medicin Veterinar Bucureti Facultatea de mbuntiri Funciare i Ingineria Mediului Managementul Investiiilor n Ecosisteme

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Masterand: Cojocaru obert Ale!andru An I" #ru$a %&%'%

Bucureti &'%( %

The Greenhouse effect

)*e greenhouse effect re+ers to t*e c*ange in t*e t*ermal e,uilibrium tem$erature o+ a $lanet or moon b- t*e $resence o+ an atmos$*ere containing gas t*at absorbs and emits in+rared radiation.#reen*ouse gases" /*ic* include /ater va$or" carbon dio!ide and met*ane" /arm t*e atmos$*ere b- e++icientl- absorbing t*ermal in+rared radiation emitted b- t*e Eart*0s sur+ace" b- t*e atmos$*ere itsel+" and b- clouds. As a result o+ its /armt*" t*e atmos$*ere also radiates t*ermal in+rared in all directions" including do/n/ard to t*e Eart*0s sur+ace. )*us" green*ouse gases tra$ *eat /it*in t*e sur+ace1tro$os$*ere s-stem. )*is mec*anism is +undamentall- di++erent +rom t*e mec*anism o+ an actual green*ouse" /*ic* instead isolates air inside t*e structure so t*at *eat is not lost b- convection and conduction" as discussed belo/. )*e green*ouse e++ect /as discovered b- 2ose$* Fourier in %3&(" +irst reliabl- e!$erimented on b- 2o*n )-ndall in t*e -ear %343 and +irst re$orted ,uantitativel- b- 5vante Arr*enius in *is %367 $a$er. In t*e absence o+ t*e green*ouse e++ect and an atmos$*ere" t*e Eart*8s average sur+ace tem$erature9 o+ %( :C ;4< :F= could be as lo/ as >%3 :C ;>'.( :F=" t*e blac? bodtem$erature o+ t*e Eart*. Ant*ro$ogenic global /arming ;A#@=" a recent /arming o+ t*e Eart*8s lo/er atmos$*ere as evidenced b- t*e global mean tem$erature anomal- trend" is believed to be t*e result o+ an Aen*anced green*ouse e++ectA mainl- due to *uman1$roduced increased concentrations o+ green*ouse gases in t*e atmos$*ere" and c*anges in t*e use o+ land )*e green*ouse e++ect is one o+ several +actors /*ic* a++ect t*e tem$erature o+ t*e Eart*. Bt*er $ositive and negative +eedbac?s dam$en or am$li+- t*e green*ouse e++ect. In our solar s-stem" Mars" Venus" and t*e moon )itan also e!*ibit green*ouse e++ects according to t*eir res$ective environments. In addition" )itan *as an anti1 green*ouse e++ect and Cluto e!*ibits be*avior similar to t*e anti1green*ouse e++ect.

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Basic mechanism
)*e Eart* receives energ- +rom t*e 5un mostl- in t*e +orm o+ visible lig*t. )*e bul? o+ t*is energ- is not absorbed b- t*e atmos$*ere since t*e atmos$*ere is trans$arent to visible lig*t. 4'D o+ t*e sun8s energ- reac*es t*e Eart* /*ic* is absorbed b- t*e sur+ace as *eat. Because o+ its tem$erature" t*e Eart*8s sur+ace radiates energ- in in+rared range. )*e #reen*ouse gases are not trans$arent to in+rared radiation so t*e- absorb in+rared radiation. In+rared radiation is absorbed +rom all directions and is $assed as *eat to all gases in t*e atmos$*ere. )*e atmos$*ere also radiates in t*e in+rared range ;because o+ its tem$erature" in t*e same /a- t*e Eart*8s sur+ace does= and does so in all directions. )*e sur+ace and lo/er atmos$*ere are /armed because o+ t*e green*ouse gases and ma?es our li+e on eart* $ossible Cattern o+ absor$tion bands generated b- various green*ouse gases and t*eir im$act on bot* solar radiation and u$going t*ermal radiation +rom t*e Eart*8s sur+ace. Eote t*at a greater ,uantit- o+ u$going radiation is absorbed" /*ic* contributes to t*e green*ouse e++ect. )*e Eart* receives energ- +rom t*e 5un in t*e +orm o+ radiation. Most o+ t*e energ- is in visible /avelengt*s and in in+rared /avelengt*s t*at are near t*e visible range ;o+ten called Anear in+raredA=. )*e Eart* re+lects about F'D o+ t*e incoming solar radiation. )*e remaining <'D is absorbed" /arming t*e land" atmos$*ere and ocean. For t*e Eart*8s tem$erature to be in stead- state so t*at t*e Eart* does not ra$idl*eat or cool" t*is absorbed solar radiation must be ver- closel- balanced b- energradiated bac? to s$ace in t*e in+rared /avelengt*s. 5ince t*e intensit- o+ in+rared radiation increases /it* increasing tem$erature" one can t*in? o+ t*e Eart*8s tem$erature as being determined b- t*e in+rared +lu! needed to balance t*e absorbed solar +lu!. )*e visible solar radiation mostl- *eats t*e sur+ace" not t*e atmos$*ere" /*ereas most o+ t*e in+rared radiation esca$ing to s$ace is emitted +rom t*e u$$er atmos$*ere" not t*e sur+ace. )*e in+rared $*otons emitted b- t*e sur+ace are mostl- absorbed in t*e atmos$*ere b- green*ouse gases and clouds and do not esca$e directl- to s$ace.

)*e reason t*is /arms t*e sur+ace is most easil- understood b- starting /it* a sim$li+ied model o+ a $urel- radiative green*ouse e++ect t*at ignores energ- trans+er in t*e atmos$*ere b- convection ;sensible *eat trans$ort" 5ensible *eat +lu!= and b- t*e eva$oration and condensation o+ /ater va$or ;latent *eat trans$ort" Gatent *eat +lu!=. In t*is $urel- radiative case" one can t*in? o+ t*e atmos$*ere as emitting in+rared radiation bot* u$/ards and do/n/ards. )*e u$/ard in+rared +lu! emitted b- t*e sur+ace must balance not onl- t*e absorbed solar +lu! but also t*is do/n/ard in+rared +lu! emitted bt*e atmos$*ere. )*e sur+ace tem$erature /ill rise until it generates t*ermal radiation e,uivalent to t*e sum o+ t*e incoming solar and in+rared radiation. A more realistic $icture ta?ing into account t*e convective and latent *eat +lu!es is some/*at more com$le!. But t*e +ollo/ing sim$le model ca$tures t*e essence. )*e starting $oint is to note t*at t*e o$acit- o+ t*e atmos$*ere to in+rared radiation determines t*e *eig*t in t*e atmos$*ere +rom /*ic* most o+ t*e $*otons are emitted into s$ace. I+ t*e atmos$*ere is more o$a,ue" t*e t-$ical $*oton esca$ing to s$ace /ill be emitted +rom *ig*er in t*e atmos$*ere" because one t*en *as to go to *ig*er altitudes to see out to s$ace in t*e in+rared. 5ince t*e emission o+ in+rared radiation is a +unction o+ tem$erature" it is t*e tem$erature o+ t*e atmos$*ere at t*is emission level t*at is e++ectivel- determined b- t*e re,uirement t*at t*e emitted +lu! balance t*e absorbed solar +lu!. But t*e tem$erature o+ t*e atmos$*ere generall- decreases /it* *eig*t above t*e sur+ace" at a rate o+ roug*l- 7.4 :C $er ?ilometer on average" until one reac*es t*e stratos$*ere %'H%4 ?m above t*e sur+ace. ;Most in+rared $*otons esca$ing to s$ace are emitted b- t*e tro$os$*ere" t*e region bounded b- t*e sur+ace and t*e stratos$*ere" so /e can ignore t*e stratos$*ere in t*is sim$le $icture.= A ver- sim$le model" but one t*at $roves to be remar?abl- use+ul" involves t*e assum$tion t*at t*is tem$erature $ro+ile is sim$l- +i!ed" b- t*e non1radiative energ- +lu!es. #iven t*e tem$erature at t*e emission level o+ t*e in+rared +lu! esca$ing to s$ace" one t*en com$utes t*e sur+ace tem$erature bincreasing tem$erature at t*e rate o+ 7.4 :C $er ?ilometer" t*e environmental la$se rate" until one reac*es t*e sur+ace. )*e more o$a,ue t*e atmos$*ere" and t*e *ig*er t*e emission level o+ t*e esca$ing in+rared radiation" t*e /armer t*e sur+ace" since one t*en needs to +ollo/ t*is la$se rate over a larger distance in t*e vertical. @*ile less intuitive t*an t*e $urel- radiative green*ouse e++ect" t*is less +amiliar radiative-convective $icture

is t*e starting $oint +or most discussions o+ t*e green*ouse e++ect in t*e climate modeling literature.

Greenhouse gases
Iuantum mec*anics $rovides t*e basis +or com$uting t*e interactions bet/een molecules and radiation. Most o+ t*is interaction occurs /*en t*e +re,uenc- o+ t*e radiation closel- matc*es t*at o+ t*e s$ectral lines o+ t*e molecule" determined b- t*e ,uantiJation o+ t*e modes o+ vibration and rotation o+ t*e molecule. ;)*e electronic e!citations are generall- not relevant +or in+rared radiation" as t*e- re,uire energ- larger t*an t*at in an in+rared $*oton.= )*e /idt* o+ a s$ectral line is an im$ortant element in understanding its im$ortance +or t*e absor$tion o+ radiation. In t*e Eart*0s atmos$*ere t*ese s$ectral /idt*s are $rimaril- determined b- K$ressure broadeningL" /*ic* is t*e distortion o+ t*e s$ectrum due to t*e collision /it* anot*er molecule. Most o+ t*e in+rared absor$tion in t*e atmos$*ere can be t*oug*t o+ as occurring /*ile t/o molecules are colliding. )*e absor$tion due to a $*oton interacting /it* a lone molecule is relativel- small. )*is t*ree1bod- as$ect o+ t*e $roblem" one $*oton and t/o molecules" ma?es direct ,uantum mec*anical com$utation +or molecules o+ interest more c*allenging. Care+ul laborators$ectrosco$ic measurements" rat*er t*an ab initio ,uantum mec*anical com$utations" $rovide t*e basis +or most o+ t*e radiative trans+er calculations used in studies o+ t*e atmos$*ere. Mear1over1-ear increase o+ atmos$*eric CB&: In t*e %67's" t*e average annual increase /as F<D o+ /*at it /as in &''' t*roug* &''<. )*e moleculesNatoms t*at constitute t*e bul? o+ t*e atmos$*ere: o!-gen ;B&=" nitrogen ;E&= and argon ;Ar=O do not interact /it* in+rared radiation signi+icantl-. @*ile t*e o!-gen and nitrogen molecules can vibrate" because o+ t*eir s-mmetr- t*ese vibrations do not create an- transient c*arge se$aration. @it*out suc* a transient di$ole moment" t*e- can neit*er absorb nor emit in+rared radiation. In t*e Eart*0s atmos$*ere" t*e dominant in+rared absorbing gases are /ater va$or" carbon dio!ide" and oJone ;BF=.

)*e same molecules are also t*e dominant in+rared emitting molecules. CB& and BF *ave A+lo$$-A vibration motions /*ose ,uantum states can be e!cited b- collisions at energies encountered in t*e atmos$*ere. For e!am$le" carbon dio!ide is a linear molecule" but it *as an im$ortant vibrational mode in /*ic* t*e molecule bends /it* t*e carbon in t*e middle moving one /a- and t*e o!-gens on t*e ends moving t*e ot*er /a-" creating some c*arge se$aration" a di$ole moment" t*us carbon dio!ide molecules can absorb I radiation. Collisions /ill immediatel- trans+er t*is energ- to *eating t*e surrounding gas. Bn t*e ot*er *and" ot*er CB& molecules /ill be vibrationall- e!cited b- collisions. oug*l- 4D o+ CB& molecules are vibrationall- e!cited at room tem$erature and it is t*is 4D t*at radiates. A substantial $art o+ t*e green*ouse e++ect due to carbon dio!ide e!ists because t*is vibration is easil- e!cited b- in+rared radiation. CB & *as t/o ot*er vibrational modes. )*e s-mmetric stretc* does not radiate" and t*e as-mmetric stretc* is at too *ig* a +re,uenc- to be e++ectivel- e!cited b- atmos$*eric tem$erature collisions" alt*oug* it does contribute to absor$tion o+ I radiation. )*e vibrational modes o+ /ater are at too *ig* energies to e++ectivel- radiate" but do absorb *ig*er +re,uenc- I radiation. @ater va$or *as a bent s*a$e. It *as a $ermanent di$ole moment ;t*e B atom end is electron ric*" and t*e P atoms electron $oor= /*ic* means t*at I radiation can be emitted and absorbed during rotational transitions" and t*ese transitions can also be $roduced b- collisional energ- trans+er. Clouds are also ver- im$ortant in+rared absorbers. )*ere+ore" /ater *as multi$le e++ects on in+rared radiation" t*roug* its va$or $*ase and t*roug* its condensed $*ases. Bt*er absorbers o+ signi+icance include met*ane" nitrous o!ide and t*e c*loro+luorocarbons. Qiscussion o+ t*e relative im$ortance o+ di++erent in+rared absorbers is con+used b- t*e overla$ bet/een t*e s$ectral lines due to di++erent gases" /idened b- $ressure broadening. As a result" t*e absor$tion due to one gas cannot be t*oug*t o+ as inde$endent o+ t*e $resence o+ ot*er gases. Bne convenient a$$roac* is to remove t*e c*osen constituent" leaving all ot*er absorbers" and t*e tem$eratures" untouc*ed" and monitoring t*e in+rared radiation esca$ing to s$ace. )*e reduction in in+rared absor$tion is t*en a measure o+ t*e im$ortance o+ t*at constituent. More $recisel-" de+ine t*e green*ouse e++ect ;#E= to be t*e di++erence bet/een t*e in+rared radiation t*at t*e sur+ace

/ould radiate to s$ace i+ t*ere /ere no atmos$*ere and t*e actual in+rared radiation esca$ing to s$ace.

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