The Greenhouse Effect

• Name three greenhouse gases?

  Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour
• What do greenhouse gases do in our atmosphere? Part 1

  Energy from the sun travels to the Earth as short wavelength radiation e.g. UV or visible light, some of the short wavelength radiation simply reflects back into space but most of it passes easily through the atmosphere, this is because short wavelength radiation does not interact strongly with gas molecules in the atmosphere the energy of the radiation is absorbed when it reaches the surface of the Earth. The surface of the Earth now radiates the energy as long wavelength radiation e.g. infra-red.
• What do greenhouse gases do in our atmosphere? Part 2?

  Some long wavelength radiation interacts with the greenhouse gas molecules in the atmosphere, the energy in the long wavelength radiation is absorbed. Because the energy is trapped in the atmosphere, this causes the temperature of the atmosphere to increase. The greenhouse effect keeps the temperature on Earth warm enough to support life, without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would be to cold for most living organisms to survive.