What is Greenhouse Effect?

The greenhouse effect is a process by which radioactive energy leaving a planetary surface is absorbed by some atmospheric gases, called greenhouse gases.

They transfer this energy to other components of the atmosphere, and it is re-radiated in all directions, including back down towards the surface.

This transfers energy to the surface and lower atmosphere, so the temperature there is higher than it would be if direct heating by solar radiation were the only warming mechanism.

This mechanism is fundamentally different from that of an actual greenhouse, which works by isolating warm air inside the structure so that heat is not lost by convection.

Effects

Who Discovered Greenhouse Effect?

The greenhouse effect was discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824, first reliably experimented on by John Tyndall in 1858, and first reported quantitatively by Svante Arrhenius in 1896.

If an ideal thermally conductive blackbody was the same distance from the Sun as the Earth, it would have an expected blackbody temperature of 5.3 C.

However, since the Earth reflects about 30%(or 28%) of the incoming sunlight, the planet's actual blackbody temperature is about -18 or -19 C, about 33C below the actual surface temperature of about14 C or 15 C.

The mechanism that produces this difference between the actual temperature and the blackbody temperature is due to the atmosphere and is known as the greenhouse effect.

Global warming, a recent warming of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere, is believed to be the result of a strengthening of the greenhouse effect mostly due to human-produced increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases.

How this happened?

This is due to the heat that is absorbed and trapped in the Earths atmosphere by certain gases (greenhouse gases); ex: CO2, methane, chlorofluorocarbon, nitrogen oxide.

These greenhouse gases, especially CO, trap and absorb heat in the atmosphere, causing a rise in the temperature of the atmosphere. The layer of gas acts as an insulator to prevent the heat energy from being transmitted to space. As a result, the Earths temperature increases causing global warming. The main cause of the greenhouse effect is due to the high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Emissions of carbon dioxide from human activities have increased tremendously, causing the greenhouse effect to occur worldwide. The greenhouse effect causes the atmospheric temperature throughout the world to increase. Hence, the whole Earths temperature is increased and the effect is called global warming.

Human activities that increase the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere: burning of fuels in factories, forest fires, deforestation, open burning of rubbish, coal-fuelled power stations, motor vehicles and use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC).

The suns radiation to the Earth penetrates through the atmosphere as solar radiation and ultraviolet radiation. About 30% of the suns radiation is reflected back as high energy into space by the atmospheric layer while 70% will penetrate through the atmosphere. About half of the 70% of the suns radiation that penetrates the atmosphere, is changed to hea t energy.

Most of the energy that reaches the Earths surface is absorbed into the Earth. Part of the heat energy that reaches the Earths surface is absorbed into the Earth. Most of the infrared radiations are absorbed by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The heat energy in the atmosphere is also absorbed by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

As a result, the heat energy is trapped in the lower atmospheric level, causing the Earths temperature to increase. The effect is similar to that occurring in a greenhouse where the suns radiation and ultraviolet radiation that penetrate the glass panels of the greenhouse are not totally reflected back to the atmosphere.

It also affected the health. In addition to well-known greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, greenhouse emissions from industry and transportation contain the fine particulates. These pollutants are linked to asthma, emphysema and cancer. The spread of some diseases are linked to the greenhouse effect as well. For example, climate change is listed as a factor in the increased range of malaria which carrying mosquitoes, causing new infections.

Agricultural productivity: Productivity of crops and livestock is reduced due to drought (lack of water) and the extremely high temperature. In temperate countries, productivity of crops will increase during winter because of the moderately higher temperature enable the crops to photosynthesise efficiently. Today, as level of CO2 and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to rise, the temperature of the Earth and its atmosphere is e pected to increase by . to . C in the year 2030!

Biology in action!
Green house effect is an important natural process. Without it, the Earth would be too cool for the survival of living organisms.

Figure 1.0 Greenhouse Effect

Figure 1.1 Comparison between natural & human enhanced greenhouse effect

John Tyndall

Svante Arrhenius

GLOBAL WARMING

Greenhouse effect