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Global Warming
Global Warming
INTRODUCTION
The phenomenon of rising average air temperatures close to the surface of the Earth over
the previous one to two centuries is known as global warming. Since the middle of the
20th century, climate scientists have accumulated extensive data on a variety of weather
events, including temperatures, precipitation, and storms, as well as on factors that have
an impact on climates, such as ocean currents and the chemical makeup of the
atmosphere. These findings show that Earth's climate has changed on practically every
possible period since the beginning of geologic time and that human activities have
increasingly affected the pace and scope of current climate change since the beginning of
the Industrial Revolution.
➤ Causes of Global Warming
➥ Green House Effect
The Earth's average surface temperature is maintained through maintaining a balance
between various forms of solar and terrestrial radiation. Solar radiation is frequently
referred to as a ``shortwave" radiation because of its extraordinarily high frequencies and
short wavelengths, which are close to the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Terrestrial radiation, on the other hand, is frequently referred to as "longwave" radiation
due to the comparatively low frequencies and lengthy wavelengths—somewhere in the
infrared region of the spectrum. Downward-moving solar energy is often measured in
terms of Watts per square metre. At the top of the Earth's atmosphere, the "solar
constant," or total solar radiation energy, is around 1,366 watts per square metre each
year. The average annual surface insulation is 342 watts per square metre accounting for
the fact that only 50% of the planet's surface is exposed to solar radiation.
The greenhouse effect adds to the complexity of Earth's energy balance. The so-called
greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide
(N2O), are trace gases with certain chemical properties that absorb some of the infrared
light emitted by the Earth's surface. A portion of the original 70 units do not directly
escape to space because of this absorption. The net result of absorption by greenhouse
gases is to increase the total amount of radiation emitted downward toward Earth's
surface and lower atmosphere because greenhouse gases emit the due to the radiation's
uniform distribution and the fact that they absorb the same amount of it in all directions
(that is, as much downward as upward).
➥ Radiative Forcing
The temperature of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere can be changed in three
different ways, according to the greenhouse effect discussion above: (1) by a net increase
in the solar radiation entering at the top of Earth's atmosphere, (2) by a change in the
fraction of radiation reaching the surface, and (3) by a change in the concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Changes in any situation can be explained by
"radiative forcing."
➤ Influence of Human Activity on Climate
By altering the ozone and aerosol concentrations as well as the surface of the Earth's land
cover, humans also have an impact on the climate. Such as
➥ Greenhouse Gases: emitting gases increase the amount of net downward longwave
radiation that reaches the surface to warm the Earth's surface.
➥ Water Vapor: it does not have a direct impact on global warming but causes climate
change. As surface temperature rises, the rate of water evaporation from the surface
increase. A higher quantity of water vapor, which can absorb longwave radiation and
emit it downward, can be found in the lower atmosphere because of enhanced
evaporation.
➥ Carbon Dioxide: it has been produced by various sources from plants to animals
Since the start of the industrial age, anthropogenic CO 2 emissions have caused an average
radiative forcing of 1.66 watts per square meter.
➥ Methane: The second-most significant greenhouse gas is methane (CH4). Along with
the Pleistocene ice age cycles, methane concentrations have also changed across a smaller
range (between roughly 350 and 800 ppb) (see Natural influences on climate).
Anthropogenic CH4 emissions have a net radiative forcing of around 0.5 watt per square
meter, or about one-third that of CO2.
➥ Surface Level Ozone and Other Compounds : Surface, or low-level, ozone is the
second-largest greenhouse gas (O3). Air pollution is the cause of surface O 3. The best
estimates place the natural surface O3 content at 10 ppb, while the net radiative forcing
brought on by anthropogenic surface O3 emissions is roughly 0.35 watts per square meter.
In cities that are prone to photochemical smog, ozone concentrations can approach
harmful levels (conditions when concentrations meet or exceed 70 ppb for eight hours or
longer).
➤ Causes of Climate Change:
Under this head, the causes can be divided into two factors;
1. Manmade
2. Natural.
➤ Global Warming: Is it a human-made cause?
➥ Emissions of Chlorofluorocarbons:
In today's state of successive climate imbalance and issues of global warming, we all
know that human-made causes have very high tendencies towards rising global surface
temperatures. Other factors that add up to the causes are widespread commercialization
and increased use of technological appliances such as Air conditioners and refrigerators.
The atmospheric ozone layer is responsible for protecting the Earth's temperature from
the sun's harmful UV radiation. Such practices have added an extra layer of CFCs or
Chlorofluorocarbons in the air, depleting the intensity of the ozone layer.