
Greenhouse Effect #1

by Science Photo Library
Title
Greenhouse Effect #1
Artist
Science Photo Library
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Greenhouse effect. Illustration of the effect of greenhouse gases such as water and carbon dioxide on the Earth's atmosphere. The Earth's surface heats up due to the energy of light from the Sun (arrows pointing down at left). Greenhouse gases and clouds help retain this heat, because they absorb energy radiated away as infrared rays from the Earth's surface (arrows pointing up at right), and re-radiate most of this energy back to the Earth (arrows at centre). Shown here is the natural greenhouse effect (circular arrows), where 72 percent of radiation from the Sun reaches the Earth's surface, with 28 percent absorbed by the atmosphere. Of the radiation from the surface, 90 percent is absorbed by the atmosphere, and 10 percent is radiated back into space. Of the heat in the atmosphere, 62 percent is radiated back to Earth, and 38 percent is radiated back into space. Overall, sunlight heats the Earth's surface to an average of 14 degrees Celsius.
Uploaded
September 30th, 2019
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