Is CO2 the primary greenhouse gas? T or False?

Question

Is CO2 the primary greenhouse gas? T or False?

Answer 1

This is a very tricky question to answer in a way that will leave you with an accurate picture of what is happening as evidenced by the answers so far, which are all correct or at least partly correct but that are answering slightly different very closely related questions.

There are two separate issues:

1) What are the greenhouse gases?

2) What are the greenhouse gases that are responsible for the recent global warming?

Just looking at the gasses that are responsible for the greenhouse effect in general the rankings are:

Water vapor, which causes about 36–70%;

Carbon dioxide (CO2), which causes 9–26%;

Methane (CH4), which causes 4–9%; and

Ozone, which causes 3–7%

There are a number of other greenhouse gases that while not making much contribution to the total greenhouse effect do make an important contribution to global warming.

If you look at which of these gases are causing global warming then the ranking is:

Carbon dioxide (CO2), which causes 87%;

Aerosols, which causes  -64% (negative because they reduce warming)

Methane (CH4), which causes 23%;

Halocarbons, which causes 21%

Ozone (near the surface), which causes 18%

N2O, which causes 10%

Water vapor (stratospheric), which causes 5%

So here is the answer, water vapor is the primary greenhouse gas but carbon dioxide is the primary cause of global warming.

Answer 2

Not even close. CO2 is minor greenhouse gas and the bit that humans generate is a tiny percentage of the total. Water vapor and methane are far more important to the greenhouse effect. Clouds (liquid & frozen water) play a huge role too.

Answer 3

true.because CO2 absorbs infra red radiations and is present in a a large quatity compared to other gasses.and N2 and O2 neither absorb nor emit infrared radiation. the  major greenhouse gases in the atmosphere did cause the earth's temperature to be higher than it would have been without the greenhouse gases.

Answer 4

False, but...

Water is the primary greenhouse gas.  But the natural "water cycle" is stable and very effective at keeping water in the air in balance.  So it's not a problem for global warming.

The "carbon cycle" is a much more delicate balance.

Look at this graph.

http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/graphics_gall...

The little squiggles are nature doing its' thing. CO2 falls a bit during summer when plants are active, and rises during the winter. The huge increase is us, burning fossil fuels.  The natural carbon cycle buried carbon in fossil fuels over a very long time, little bit by little bit. We dig them up and burn them, real fast.  That's a problem.

So CO2 is the most important "global warming" gas.

Answer 5

true

Answer 6

false