Why greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation

The amount of CO 2 emitted by the cement industry is more than kg of CO 2 for every kg of cement produced. Aerosols are small particles suspended in the atmosphere that can be produced when we burn fossil fuels.

Other anthropogenic sources of aerosols include pollution from cars and factories, chlorofluorocarbons CFCs used in refrigeration systems and CFCs and halons used in fire suppression systems and manufacturing processes.

Aerosols can also be produced naturally from a number of natural processes e. For example, sulphate aerosols from fossil fuel combustion exert a cooling influence by reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth. Aerosols also have a detrimental impact on human health and affect other parts of the climate system, such as rainfall. Discovering Geology introduces a range of geoscience topics to school-age students and learners of all ages.

Climate is the pattern of weather of an area averaged over many years. We can only show whether climate change has occurred after decades of careful measurements and analysis. Temperature rises can affect agriculture, sea levels and the frequency of extreme weather incidents. We can study past climate change by looking at the evidence in rocks, fossils and changes in the landscape. The carbon cycle describes the process in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere into the Earth, then released back into the atmosphere.

Carbon capture and storage involves capturing carbon dioxide at emission sources, such as power stations, then transporting and storing it underground. BGS is committed to research aimed at slowing down the effects of a changing climate, whilst helping society to become resilient to climate change.

Anthropogenic or human release of carbon dioxide is what is contributing to an additional or enhanced greenhouse effect. Home » Discovering Geology » Climate change » The greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect Discovering Geology — Climate change. Greenhouse gases. Burning fossil fuels Carbon dioxide levels are substantially higher now than at any time in the last years.

Agriculture, forestry and other land use Agriculture, deforestation and other changes in land use account for one quarter of net anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The main sources of emissions are: feed production and processing 45 per cent outputs of greenhouse gases during digestion by cows 39 per cent manure decomposition 10 per cent The rest is attributable to the processing and transportation of animal products.

Cement manufacture Cement manufacture contributes CO 2 to the atmosphere when calcium carbonate is heated, producing lime and CO 2. A cement works in Clitheroe. But not all greenhouse gases are created equal. Also, condensed water cloud strongly absorbs and re-emits radiation, and reflects sunlight as well. Next to water, carbon dioxide has the largest effect on surface temperature, followed by methane and nitrous oxide, and a handful of other gases whose concentrations are truly minute.

This process is so rapid that, on average, a molecule of water resides in the atmosphere for only about two weeks. The concentration of water vapor has an upper limit that is determined by air temperature—warmer air can support larger concentrations of water vapor.

This is one reason that moisture varies so wildly from place to place and time to time. Another is that rain and snow can remove water from the air, so that its concentration can and often does fall well below the limit imposed by air temperature.

The ratio of the actual amount of moisture in the air to its upper limit is what we refer to as relative humidity. Although relative humidity varies greatly, we observe that its long-term average is fairly stable, so to a first approximation, the actual amount of water in the atmosphere changes in tandem with its upper limit, that is, with temperature.

If we were magically to double the water vapor content of the atmosphere without changing its temperature, in roughly two weeks the excess water would be back where it belongs, in oceans, rivers, lakes, and groundwater. ACS-Hach Programs Learn about financial support for future and current high school chemistry teachers. Not really. There are only a few things you need to know, some of which are probably already familiar, to understand the basic idea of the greenhouse effect and why it is so important for the Earth.

You know that when you stand in sunlight, you feel warmer than when you are in shadow, so you can feel that the light radiant energy the sun gives off carries energy that can warm an object—you. Although you usually cannot see it, all objects give off radiant energy and you can sometimes feel this energy. For example, if there is a pot of hot water on your stove, you can feel the radiant energy it gives off without touching it.

The amount of infrared radiation energy a warmed object gives off depends on its temperature—the higher the temperature, the more energy is given off. As you know, you can easily distinguish between a warm object and a hot object by holding your hand near the objects and feeling the difference in heating effect on your skin. These ideas are basic to understanding the energy balance between the sun and the Earth. Just as sunlight warms you, it warms the surface of the Earth as well. The Earth does not continue to get hotter and hotter as it absorbs energy from the sun, because it gives off energy to space as invisible infrared radiation.

In order to come into energy balance, the amount of infrared radiation energy given off by the Earth has to be equal to the amount of energy absorbed from the sunlight. The amount of infrared radiation energy the Earth gives off depends on its temperature. The figure below illustrates how greenhouse gases keep the Earth warmer than it would be without them.