Would this be a correct summary for the Greenhouse Effect?

Question

The Greenhouse effect is the process in which the earth absorbs sunlight rays from the sun and uses it to maintain its average surface temperature. Some of the rays are reflected back from the Earth (infared) and are trapped by the atmosphere gases, heating the Earth even more. When more of these gasses are emitted from the Earth and trap more heat, it is called the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect.

This is my own words and revision for my exam. plse tell me if i can change or add anything

Answer 1

That is the first part of the hypothesis and the less controversial one.

There is a second part, that the doomsayers do not want to talk about.  This initial warming will be amplified four, five, ten times to produce catastrophic warming.  

The first part of the theory, without any feedbacks, will produce anywhere from half a degree to one and a half degree increase over the next 100 years.

The second part, the positive feedback part.  This calls for a continuous warming of the oceans, and a rapid warming of the troposphere.  If that does not happen, we cannot get catastrophic warming.

Guess what, the oceans are not warming, they are cooling.

http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/a...

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroo...

This has prompted one global warming model institute to put a halt to global warming for the next ten years.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,3538...

Answer 2

The Greenhouse effect is the process in which the earth RECEIVES sunlight rays from the sun and uses it to maintain its average surface temperature. Thus the day time and night time temperatures are similar Some of the rays are reflected back from the Earth's surface (infared) and are trapped by the atmosphere gases such as CO2 SO2 CO etc. , heating the Earth even more. When more of these gasses are emitted from the Earth and trap more heat, it is called the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect which leads to a rise in temperature. This enhanced  Greenhouse effect thus contributes to the issue of Global Warming

Answer 3

Not quite right by you are on the right track.

sunlight is high-energy shortwave radiation that passes easily through our atmosphere and is mostly absorbed by the earth (as in dirt or some other solid surface).

The earth (dirt) then emits energy in the form of long wave radiation (thermal energy) that is absorbed by greenhouse gases that the short wave radiation passes right through. Long wave radiation is re-radiated back to earth and into space to maintain the the radiation balance (incoming radiation must equal outgoing. Shortwave radiation only comes in during the day but long wave is emitted as  constantly, so even though the stuff coming in has more energy, the stuff going out emits the about the same because it occurs day and night).

This is the warmth we feel and can see easily on the thermometer when we are in the shade. This is why the planet is comfortable at night.  No greenhouse gases, it would get darn cold fast.

Answer 4

a bit choppy towards the end, try the theory of the green house effect is when the sun rays bounce off the earth and the gasses trap the escaping heat like a blanket. That's easier to remember

Answer 5

You are basically correct on the broad points, below is a link with some more fact and figures

Hank S, I don't know where you live, but most places have night time temperature drops usually 10-15c, In some deserts the drop can be 30-40c degrees depending on the time of year.

Eric c, The full image from your link is a bit more telling, yes the PDO and the La Nina are combining but the La Nina is nearly over and the full image shows warming all around the Arctic with intense warming above Scandinavia.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroo...

Tomcat

"visible light coming from the sun do not bounce back"

This is obviously incorrect or the Earth viewed from space would be black, only ~50% is absorbed, 6% is scattered off the top of the atmosphere, ~20% is reflected by clouds and about 19% is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds and 4% is reflected off the surface.

Answer 6

That's pretty good, just a couple of clarifications.

The greenhouse effect is a 100% natural, the enhanced greenhouse effect is suposedly man made.

The greenhouse effect occurs because the atmosphere is more opaque to infrared radiation than ultraviolet radiation.  

Sunlight, coming down is mainly ultraviolet light and radiation going up is mainly infrared.

The enhanced greenhouse effect is based on the theory that the opacity of the atmosphere to infrared will be significantly altered by human activity.  

The greenhouse effect is sensible science.  The enhanced greenhouse theory is highly speculative and almost certainly overstated.

Answer 7

Its close but the rays or visible light coming from the sun do not bounce back, they they are converted into long wave length infrared energy, which greenhouse gasses slow down the emission of the LWIR energy from the surface into space, consequently raising the equilibrium temperature of earths surface.