Greenhouse effect | Global warming | Climate change| Infrared Radiation | Electromagnetic wave |
The greenhouse effect is a crucial phenomenon that is essential for sustaining life on Earth. Without the greenhouse effect, our planet would be too cold to support the diverse forms of life.
The earth’s surfaces, such as land, water, and ice, receive solar radiation from the sun, but all of its radiation does not reach them directly. Some solar radiations are reflected back into space by clouds and the Earth's surface. Others are absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. And a portion of these radiations is scattered by the atmosphere.
The sun emits visible light and other types of electromagnetic radiations. Solar radiation is actually a general term for the electromagnetic radiations emitted by the sun. These radiations include Gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared light, Microwaves, and radio waves. Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that travels in waves and has both electric and magnetic fields. It consists of a wide range of wavelengths. For example, Gamma rays are of very short wavelengths and high-energy. While Radio waves are of long wavelengths but have low-energy.
All the radiations emitted by the sun do not reach the earth’s atmosphere. Most of the solar radiations that reach the Earth’s atmosphere have the wavelengths from 100 nm to 1 mm. The spectrum of solar radiation reaching the earth can be roughly divided into: Ultraviolet; Visible light; Near-infrared; and Infrared.
Three main features of infrared radiation are:
1. It is a type of electromagnetic radiation that has wavelengths longer than those of visible light, so it is invisible to the human eye.
2. Infrared radiation can be felt as heat on the skin, because it carries energy and can increase the temperature of objects that absorb it.
3. Infrared Radiation is emitted by all objects that have some heat, such as the sun, fire, and even humans.
The Earth and its atmosphere release a portion of the absorbed energy back into space in the form of infrared radiation which is a form of heat. Beyond oxygen and nitrogen, the atmosphere encompasses a variety of gases. Atmospheric gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane play a role in absorbing the Earth's infrared radiation. These radiations are re-emitted in all directions. Some of these radiations come back to the earth.
The heat is entrapped within the earth’s atmosphere by these gases. This phenomenon is known as greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb and emit infrared radiation, which is a type of heat energy. Without these greenhouse gases, the temperature of the earth would be very low specially at night. They help keep the Earth warm by trapping some of the heat that the sun radiates to the Earth’s surface. This phenomenon of greenhouse effect is essential for life on Earth.
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that keeps the Earth warm and habitable. These gases act like a blanket that prevents the heat from escaping back into space. Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would be too cold for life to exist. However, human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and farming have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which enhances the greenhouse effect and causes the Earth’s temperature to rise. This is called global warming. Global warming causes climate change and it has many negative impacts on the environment and human health.
The increase in the Earth’s temperature due to enhanced greenhouse effect is called global warming, which affects the climate and the environment in various ways. Global climate change is the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate due to natural and human factors. These changes include rising temperatures, melting ice, rising sea levels, changing rainfall patterns, and more. Climate change affects the environment, the economy, and the society in various ways.
Time Stamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:54 Solar radiation or Electromagnetic radiation
00:01:30 Types of Electromagnetic radiation
00:02:51 Solar radiation that reaches the earth’s atmosphere.
00:03:58 Infrared radiation
00:04:54 Reradiation by Earth
00:05:54 Absorption and reradiation of heat or infrared radiation by earth and gases
00:07:00 Is Greenhouse effect bad?
00:07:28 Global warming and climate change
00:08:32 Causes of Global warming and climate change
00:09:14 Why is it called Greenhouse effect?
00:10:52 Affects of global warming and climate change.
00:12:59 Examples of Greenhouse gases
00:14:54 Global initiatives against climate change