What is Greenhouse?
Greenhouse is a glass surrounded house which trap daylight heat to keep the house warmer throughout the day and night. Even in winter the house remains warmer as trapped heat cannot pass at outside.
How earth act as a Greenhouse?
Our earth also act as a greenhouse which trap heat to conserve energy from sun. Too much or insufficient greenhouse effect results no evidence of life in any planet. The greenhouse gases in our planet allows the solar energy to absorb as long wave infrared radiation (IR) from earth surface and keep the earth warm and again radiate back to earth surface. The absorption and radiation process become continue until infrared radiation (IR) remains to absorb.
What are the name of Greenhouse gases?
The natural greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is both natural and human induced greenhouse Gas. The human induced greenhouse gases are nitrous oxide (N2O), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
What is the effect of the green house?
The earth atmosphere is very thinner which is organized like an Onion’s Skin. Earth receives energy from the sunlight. Atmosphere and cloud reflects 26% solar energy to space and absorb 19%. Rest 51% of the solar energy absorbed and 4% reflected by the surface of Earth. The energy use for heating the ground, melting of ice and snow, water evaporation and plant photosynthesis and radiated back into the space as infrared radiation (longwave) while 90% of this radiated energy become absorb by the greenhouse gases. The greenhouse gases again radiate back the infrared heat in the earth surface. The cycle of absorption and radiation continue until the long wave radiations remains to absorb.
How human activities contribute to climate change?
However, human activities are increasing the greenhouse gas amount in atmosphere mainly carbon dioxide which changing the natural greenhouse process and ultimately forcing climate towards change. The changing climate as a result of strong greenhouse is rising global warming, ocean temperature and glaciers melting. The result of this changes is very devastative and peoples already started to see its effect like coastal zone sinking, heat wave and food production reduction.
How human activities is rising Global warming?
The greenhouse gases are responsible for greenhouse effect which trap heat that radiate back from the earth surface to keep the world warm. However, the greenhouse gas amount is increasing in atmosphere by human activities such as deforestation, burning fossil fuels, land use changes, decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture and soil cultivation practices, nitric acid production, plastic and polythene production, and biomass burning.
References
1. A blanket around the Earth. www.climate.nasa.gov
2. Climate Change Indicators: Greenhouse Gases. www.epa.gov
3. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). 2013. Climate change 2013: The physical science basis. Working Group I contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
4. Pidwirny, M., Howard H. 2006. Greenhouse effect. Encyclopedia of Earth.
