What is the connection between the GREENHOUSE EFFECT and GLOBAL WARMING?

Question

- Are these 2 the same?

- What is the difference between the two?

**serious answers only please. =)

Answer 1

Try this site

http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/di...

:)

Answer 2

There are both differences and similarities and a connection between these two.

First of all, the greenhouse effect is essential because it supports the enormous diversity of life that we see on this planet...without this effect, temperatures would drop drastically to approximately minus 20 degrees C (the current average global mean temperature is approximately 15 degrees C).

This greenhouse effect largely depends on atmospheric gases that absorb longwave infrared radiation emitted from the Earth's surface. Infrared radiation is only absorbed by specific gases in the atmosphere, that is, gases with more than two atoms, or if there are only two, they must be two different elements. So, compounds such as Methane CH4 (which contains one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms); Carbon dioxide CO2(one carbon and two oxygen atoms); and water H2O(two hydrogen and one oxygen) will all absorb longwave infrared radiation. Not all of this infrared radiation is captured by the atmosphere as some will escape back into space.

Oxygen O2 and Nitrogen, N2 which are the predominant gases in the atmosphere do NOT absorb infrared radiation because although these contain two atoms, they are both diatomic molecules, that is, they consist of two atoms of the same element(it would take me too long to explain the reasons why).

When concentrations of these gases increase or decrease, it will have an obvious impact on this greenhouse effect and thus, in turn, will affect global mean temperatures. Of course there are other important factors that determine global climate too, such as solar radiation, the Earth's orbit around the sun and the axial tilt of the Earth.

Answer 3

Well, they aaren't the same, exactly.  Here's how it works:

A "greenhouse effect" refers to one o fseveral possible things in the atmosphere taht tends to trap the sun's heat and thus acts as a "blanket".  Now, normally the Earth has some of these gases in the atmosphere--that helps keep the Earth's temperature warm enough fo rlife to prosper.   But if you get too much of oe, then tehe Earth will start getting warmer.

So--in the case o fthe current global warming, we have an excess of one greenhouse gas--carbon dioxide (CO2) being releaseed into the atmosphere, mostly by human activities.  And that is causing the Earth to heat up--hence its called global warming.

The emission of the greenhouse gas CO2 is thus the cause--global warming is the effect.  The problem is tha tglobal warming in turn causes climate changes which endanger or create major prolems for plants, animals--and human beings.

Answer 4

The greenhouse effect, in simple terms, keeps heat in the earth's atmosphere, instead of allowing it to escape back into space. This, in turn, contributes to global warming. So while they are not entirely the same, the greenhouse effect contributes to global warming.