How does the greenhouse effect contribute to global warming?

Question

How does the greenhouse effect contribute to global warming?

Answer 1

SHORT ANSWER

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide prevent some heat from leaving the Earth's atmosphere and escaping into space.  The build up of atmospheric greenhouse gases in recent years has led to an increase in the amount of heat that is trapped.  The term 'Greenhouse Effect' has been coined to describe this phenomenum.

--------------------

LONG ANSWER

Our atmosphere acts like a blanket trapping heat and keeping Earth at a habitable temperature, it’s this retaining of heat that is referred to as the Greenhouse Effect.  The greenhouse effect is caused by greenhouse gases that trap heat from the sun, the more greenhouse gases there are the more heat is retained

GREENHOUSE GASES

Water vapour (H20) is the most prevalent greenhouse gas and occurs naturally.  Some greenhouse gases are both natural and manmade including carbon dioxide (C02), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO) and tetraflouromethane (CF4). There are several synthetic gases consisting of carbon and halogens, many of the manmade greenhouse gases are also responsible for ozone depletion.

As with temperature, there is a natural cycle in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.  Ice core samples extending back some 650,000 years show the minimum amount of atmospheric CO2 to have been around 190 parts per million by volume (ppmv) and the maximum about 300 ppmv.  The worry is that the current levels of CO2 are considerably higher at around 385 ppmv .

LEVELS OF GREENHOUSE GAS

Excluding water vapour, carbon dioxide is by far the most prevalent of the greenhouse gases accounting for over 99% of all of them.  The only other gas present in appreciable quantity is methane and this accounts for nearly 0.5% of the greenhouse gases.  

By comparing levels of greenhouse gases in 2000 with levels in 1750 we can see that there has been a 31% increase in the amount of carbon dioxide, a 16% rise in levels of nitrous oxide and a 149% increase in the levels of methane.  

Different greenhouse gases are more effective than others at contributing to the greenhouse effect, an effect called the Global Warming Potential (GWP).  Although carbon dioxide accounts for 99.4% of the greenhouse gases by volume, the contribution it makes as a total of all the greenhouse gases is considerably lower at just 72.3%; this is because, as greenhouse gases go, it's not very good.  Nitrous oxide on the other hand is nearly 300 times as effective and although it occurs in very small amounts when compared to carbon dioxide, it manages to contribute 18.4% towards the total greenhouse effect.  The other gases which make sizeable contributions are methane and dichlorodifluoromethane, respectively these are responsible for nearly 8% and nearly 1% of the contribution to the greenhouse effect.

SOURCES OF GREENHOUSE GASES

One of the primary causes of greenhouse gas emissions for which humans are responsible result from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) and much of the remainder results from farming and agricultural activities. Fossil fuels are used in power generation, to heat homes and offices, to power factories, to fuel transport and many more uses.  

Other manmade causes of greenhouse gases include deforestation, fertilisers, air conditioning units, open fires, fridges and freezers, numerous industrial and chemical processes, fire suppressants, coal mining, effluent, landfill sites, livestock and rice cultivation.

There are several natural causes of greenhouse gases including volcanic activity, the seas and oceans, natural decay of plants and animals and the natural melting of ice caps.

Answer 2

As more carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere, the ability of the atmosphere to radiate heat back into outer space decreases; hence, the world begins to heat up.

Answer 3

two words: traps heat

four words:

oh pick me pls.

four words:

oh nevermind, thanks anyway.