The warming of the atmosphere that is due to the absorption and reradiation of heat by the molecules of certain gases, commonly known as greenhouse gases. Solar radiation is emitted at all wavelengths. Very short-wave, high energy gamma and X radiation is absorbed at the top of the atmosphere and does not penetrate it. The shorter wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation are absorbed by atmospheric oxygen.

The radiation that penetrates deeply into the atmosphere is predominantly at wavelengths between 0.2 ím and 4.0 ím, with a strong peak at 0.5 ím. Visible light is radiation at wavelengths between 0.4 ím (violet) and 0.7 ím (red); the 0.5-ím peak corresponds to blue-green light. Radiation between 0.7 ím and 4.0 ím corresponds to infrared radiation and heat. Out of all the radiation Earth receives from the Sun, 9 percent is ultraviolet, 45 percent is visible

Can we as a society actually stop or even slow down this end product? Perhaps we’ll never know until it’s too late.

Many scientists believe human activities that release greenhouse gases may be increasing the natural greenhouse effect and that the resulting enhanced greenhouse effect will induce global warming Should this prove to be correct, the amount of warming will be related to the calculated value for the natural greenhouse effect. The critics of this calculation hold that the magnitude of any global warming will be quite small.

Some of the incoming energy is reflected into space from clouds and from the different surfaces of the land and sea. The remainder is absorbed. The absorbed radiation warms the surface, and as it warms the Earth starts to radiate as a blackbody. This radiation is at much longer wavelengths, between about 5 ím and 50 ím, with a strong peak at about 12 ím.

This is what is known as the greenhouse effect. The comparison with a greenhouse is based on the notion that the glass of a greenhouse is transparent to

Some topics in this essay:
Greenhouse Effect”, greenhouse effect, radiation wavelengths, Greenhouse Effect, radiation absorbed, greenhouse gases, outgoing long-wave radiation, opaque outgoing long-wave, ím strong peak, ím 40 ím, global warming, solar radiation, opaque outgoing, natural greenhouse effect, 07 ím, natural greenhouse, gases atmosphere,