Greenhouse gases, or GHGs for short, like carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), are really important for our planet. They help control how warm it is and how weather changes.
Here’s How It Works:
Sunshine: The sun shines down energy on Earth. About 30% of this energy bounces back into space, but the rest gets absorbed by the ground and water.
Releasing Heat: The Earth then lets out some of this energy as heat, called infrared radiation.
Keeping Heat In: Greenhouse gases grab some of this heat and send it back toward the Earth. This keeps our planet warmer.
Effects on Temperature:
When there are more greenhouse gases, more heat gets trapped. This leads to higher temperatures. For example, since the late 1800s, the average temperature of our planet has gone up by about 1.2°C. A lot of this is because of human actions, like burning oil and gas.
Effects on Weather:
Greenhouse gases also change the weather. As temperatures rise, more water evaporates into the air. This can lead to heavier rains and more intense storms.
In places where it usually doesn’t rain much, drought can last longer and get worse because of the changes in weather patterns.
In short, more greenhouse gases change how warm it gets and how the weather acts. They are super important in how our atmosphere works.
Greenhouse gases, or GHGs for short, like carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), are really important for our planet. They help control how warm it is and how weather changes.
Here’s How It Works:
Sunshine: The sun shines down energy on Earth. About 30% of this energy bounces back into space, but the rest gets absorbed by the ground and water.
Releasing Heat: The Earth then lets out some of this energy as heat, called infrared radiation.
Keeping Heat In: Greenhouse gases grab some of this heat and send it back toward the Earth. This keeps our planet warmer.
Effects on Temperature:
When there are more greenhouse gases, more heat gets trapped. This leads to higher temperatures. For example, since the late 1800s, the average temperature of our planet has gone up by about 1.2°C. A lot of this is because of human actions, like burning oil and gas.
Effects on Weather:
Greenhouse gases also change the weather. As temperatures rise, more water evaporates into the air. This can lead to heavier rains and more intense storms.
In places where it usually doesn’t rain much, drought can last longer and get worse because of the changes in weather patterns.
In short, more greenhouse gases change how warm it gets and how the weather acts. They are super important in how our atmosphere works.