TOPIC 4.

4 – CLIMATE CHANGE
4.4 – A – Greenhouse Effect
Introduction
IB BIO – 4.4 Greenhouse gases are those that absorb long wave radiation and
Understandings
re-emit it as heat energy. In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide and
water vapour are the most significant.
U1: Carbon
dioxide and
water vapour
are the most
significant
greenhouse
gases.

Key Terms

Greenhouse
Gas

Water Vapour

Carbon Dioxide
 Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases absorb and emit long-wave radiation (infrared), thereby functioning to trap and hold heat
within the Earth’s atmosphere

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon and the gases comprise <1% of the atmosphere
• CO2 and H2O are the most significant gases
• CH4 and N2O have far less of an impact
 Anthropogenic Gases

Anthropogenic (man-made)
gases include:
• Carbon dioxide (via
combustion of fossil fuels)
• Methane (released from
landfills and cattle)
• Nitrogen oxides (emitted via
vehicle exhausts)

Hence, human activity is

changing proportions of
greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere and thus trapping
more heat (i.e. climate
change)
Greenhouse Gases

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

● Added to atmosphere via cell

respiration and combustion
● Removed from the
atmosphere by
photosynthesis and diffusion
into the ocean
Greenhouse Gases

Water (H2O)

● Added to atmosphere via

evaporation from ocean
and transpiration from
plants
● Removed from the
atmosphere by rainfall
and snow
IB BIO – 4.4 Carbon dioxide is released into
Understandings
the atmosphere through cell
respiration and by combustion.
U1: Carbon
dioxide and It is removed by photosynthesis.
water vapour
are the most
significant
greenhouse
gases.

Water vapour is added to the

atmosphere through
Key Terms evaporation.
Greenhouse It is removed as condensation
Gas
(rain, snow, hail, etc.)
Water Vapour

Carbon Dioxide
IB BIO – 4.4 Other greenhouse gases include methane and nitrogen oxides. They
Understandings
are present in lower concentration and so have a lesser impact.

U2: Other gases

including
methane and
nitrogen oxides
have less
impact.

Key Terms

Greenhouse
Gas

Methane

Nitrogen Oxides
Methane (CH4)

● Added to atmosphere via:

○ Methanogenic archaea performing
anaerobic respiration
○ Melting of tundra (where methane has
been trapped in frozen soil)

● Methane is emitted from

○ Waterlogged habitats
○ Landfills
○ Fossil fuel extraction
○ Melting polar ice
● Removed from the atmosphere by
oxidation to become CO2 and H2O.
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
● Added to atmosphere whenever
combustion occurs in the presence of
nitrogen (vehicle exhaust, lightning
strikes).
● Bacteria in some habitats

● Agriculture
IB BIO – 4.4 14

Understandings

U2: Other gases

including
methane and
nitrogen oxides
have less
impact.

Key Terms

Greenhouse
Gas
IB BIO – 4.4 There are two factors that affect
Understandings
the impact of a greenhouse gas:

U3: The impact • Its ability to absorb long

of a gas wave radiation
depends on its
ability to absorb • Its concentration in the
long wave
radiation as well atmosphere
as on its
concentration in
the
atmosphere. Long wave radiation is usually in
the form of infrared radiation.
Key Terms

Long-wave
This radiation is also known as
Radiation heat radiation.
IB BIO – 4.4 The Earth’s surface absorbs short-wave radiation (UV) from the sun
and re-emits it as longer wavelength, mostly infrared.
Understandings

U4: The
warmed Earth
emits longer
wavelength
radiation
(heat).

Key Terms
IB BIO – 4.4 Each greenhouse gas is
Understandings
able to absorb specific
wavelengths of radiation.
U5: Longer
wave radiation Solar radiation is short
is absorbed by
wave and passes through
greenhouse
gases which them.
retains the heat
in the Greenhouse gases
atmosphere. absorb the longer wave
radiation that is re-
emitted by the Earth.
Key Terms
The re-emitted
Greenhouse
Effect wavelengths are between
~5-70nm.
1. Ability to absorb longwave radiation - a greater capacity to absorb
longwave radiation mean a greater warming impact per molecule

2. Concentration within the atmosphere - a greater concentration

means a greater warming impact (The concentration is determined by
both its rate of release and persistence within the atmosphere)
Two factors determine the impact a greenhouse gas has in warming the
atmosphere:
1. Ability to absorb longwave radiation - a greater capacity to absorb
longwave radiation mean a greater warming impact per molecule

2. Concentration within the atmosphere - a greater concentration

means a greater warming impact (The concentration is determined by
both its rate of release and persistence within the atmosphere)
Longwave = 3-30 um
Ability to absorb longwave radiation

Water > carbon dioxide > Methane > nitrogen oxides

Two factors determine the impact a greenhouse gas has in warming the
atmosphere:
1. Ability to absorb longwave radiation - a greater capacity to absorb
longwave radiation mean a greater warming impact per molecule

2. Concentration within the atmosphere - a greater concentration

means a greater warming impact (The concentration is determined by
both its rate of release and persistence within the atmosphere)
Summary of Greenhouse Gases

Water CO2 Methane NOx

Atmospheric
concentration
0.01 - 4%* 385 ppm 1797 ppb 322 ppb

Rate of increase na 1.5 ppm/year 7.0 ppb/year 0.8 ppb/year

Notice the units are different: “ppm” is “parts per

million”’ “ppb” is “parts per billion”. There is FAR more
water vapour in the atmosphere that CO 2, and there is
more CO2 than methane or NOx

* The amount of water vapour varies by location on Earth

† GWP for water vapour is very difficult to calculate - to see why click here
Two factors determine the impact a greenhouse gas has in warming the
atmosphere:
1. Ability to absorb longwave radiation - a greater capacity to absorb
longwave radiation mean a greater warming impact per molecule

2. Concentration within the atmosphere - a greater concentration

means a greater warming impact (The concentration is determined by
both its rate of release and persistence within the atmosphere)
How much of the gas is being
added to the atmosphere
Water > Carbon dioxide > methane > nitrogen oxides
Two factors determine the impact a greenhouse gas has in warming the
atmosphere:
1. Ability to absorb longwave radiation - a greater capacity to absorb
longwave radiation mean a greater warming impact per molecule

2. Concentration within the atmosphere - a greater concentration

means a greater warming impact (The concentration is determined by
both its rate of release and persistence within the atmosphere)
“Persistence” is how long the
gas lasts in the atmosphere
Summary of Greenhouse Gases

Water CO2 Methane NOx

Atmospheric
concentration
0.01 - 4%* 385 ppm 1797 ppb 322 ppb

Rate of increase na 1.5 ppm/year 7.0 ppb/year 0.8 ppb/year

Lifetime is Very short Varies

12 years 120 years
atmosphere (1-5 days) (5-200 years)

Global warming
potential (GWP)
na† 1 21 310

* The amount of water vapour varies by location on Earth

† GWP for water vapour is very difficult to calculate - to see why click here
Not all greenhouse gases have equal effect
For example, methane vs. carbon dioxide
● Methane doesn’t persist as long as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
● Methane absorbs a narrower range of wavelengths than carbon dioxide
● Methane is released into the atmosphere at a lower rate than carbon dioxide

So…

CO2 > CH4

Greater Smaller
impact on impact on
planetary planetary
warming warming
Impact Summary
Have you ever noticed that clear clodless nights are
colder than cloudy rainny nights?
Why do you think this is?
IB BIO – 4.4 The ability of greenhouse gases to absorb longwave radiation has the
overall effect of retaining heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. This effect
Understandings
is known as the greenhouse effect.
U5: Longer
wave radiation
is absorbed by
greenhouse
gases which
retains the heat
in the
atmosphere.

Key Terms

Greenhouse
Effect
 ● About 1% of atmospheric gases are greenhouse
gases.
Greenhouse Gases ● The other 99% (mostly oxygen and nitrogen) are not
able to reflect long wave radiation and are therefore not
greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases are gases
in the atmosphere that can
absorb and reflect long wave
radiation back to Earth,
keeping Earth much warmer
than it otherwise would be.

Greenhouse gases are good.

Issues arise when you have too
low or too high of a
concentration of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere.
 Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is a natural process that traps heat within the atmosphere
• This ensures moderate temperatures are maintained during days and nights

The greenhouse effect occurs

according to the following steps:
• Incoming radiation from the sun
is shorter wavelength (UV and
visible spectrum)
• The Earth’s surface absorbs and
re-emits the radiation at a longer
wavelength
• Greenhouse gases retain long-
wave radiation (IR and heat) in
the atmosphere
• Trapping heat in the atmosphere
prevents rapid temperature
fluctuations
Wavelengths of Electromagnetic Radiation
● Note relative wavelength
sizes:
○ UV: smallest
○ Visible: middle
○ Infrared: largest

● Note relative energy values:

○ UV: most
○ Visible: middle
○ Infrared: least
Shortwave radiation:

● Emitted from the sun

● Peaks at wavelength of 400 nm
● UV, visible and infrared wavelengths

Long wave radiation:

● Emitted from the Earth

● Peaks at wavelength of 10,000 nm
● Infrared only
 Short wave radiation: from sun (visible light)
Greenhouse Effect
Long wave radiation: from Earth (infrared)
1. 25% of radiation from
the sun (mostly the
UV) is absorbed by
ozone before reaching
the Earth’s surface.

2. 75% of solar radiation

reaches Earth's
surface

3. Earth absorbs short

wave and emits long
wave radiation

4. Greenhouse gases
capture the long wave
radiation

5. Long wave is passed

back to Earth, causing
warming
 Industrial Practices

Human activity is increasing the

concentration of greenhouse gases in
a variety of key ways:
• Deforestation (less CO2 uptake by
trees)
• Increased agriculture (cattle
produce CH4)

The main cause of increased CO2

emissions is the combustion of
fossilized organic matter
• These fossil fuels include oil, coal
and gas
IB BIO – 4.4
• MinuteEarth: How Do Greenhouse Gases Work?

VIDEOS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTvqIijqvTg

• TestTube101: What is Greenhouse Gas?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI1iWrxO6Y8

• FuseSchool: What is The Natural Greenhouse Effect?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpa0aFY--pE
IB BIO – 4.4
1. Define greenhouse gas.

REVIEW 2. List four major greenhouse gases and their

sources.

3. Outline the factors that affect the impact of a

greenhouse gas.

4. Compare longer wave and shorter wave radiation.

5. Identify the types of radiation absorbed and

emitted by the Earth’s surface.

6. Outline the greenhouse effect.