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    Puneet Paul Singh - Amandeep Singh - Amit Kalaniya: Iakshit Sobti

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    Akshit Sobti
    The document discusses the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases. It explains that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide absorb infrared radiation emitted from the Earth's surface and atmosphere and re-emit it, trapping heat and warming the planet. An increase in these greenhouse gases leads to enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming. While climate variability is natural, the challenge is determining if changes in climate indicators are due to natural variability or as a result of increased greenhouse gas concentrations caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels.

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    Puneet Paul Singh - Amandeep Singh - Amit Kalaniya: Iakshit Sobti

    Uploaded by

    Akshit Sobti
    18 views21 pages
    The document discusses the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases. It explains that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide absorb infrared radiation emitted from the Earth's surface and atmosphere and re-emit it, trapping heat and warming the planet. An increase in these greenhouse gases leads to enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming. While climate variability is natural, the challenge is determining if changes in climate indicators are due to natural variability or as a result of increased greenhouse gas concentrations caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels.

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    2-6-2003

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    The document discusses the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases. It explains that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide absorb infrared radiation emitted from the Earth's surface and atmosphere and re-emit it, trapping heat and warming the planet. An increase in these greenhouse gases leads to enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming. While climate variability is natural, the challenge is determining if changes in climate indicators are due to natural variability or as a result of increased greenhouse gas concentrations caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    18 views21 pages

    Puneet Paul Singh - Amandeep Singh - Amit Kalaniya: Iakshit Sobti

    Uploaded by

    Akshit Sobti
    The document discusses the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases. It explains that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide absorb infrared radiation emitted from the Earth's surface and atmosphere and re-emit it, trapping heat and warming the planet. An increase in these greenhouse gases leads to enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming. While climate variability is natural, the challenge is determining if changes in climate indicators are due to natural variability or as a result of increased greenhouse gas concentrations caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels.

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    You are on page 1of 21

    GREENHOUSE EFFECT, GREENHOUSE GASES & WORLD CLIMATE CHANGES

    -AKSHIT SOBTI -PUNEET PAUL SINGH -AMANDEEP SINGH -AMIT KALANIYA

    MAIN QUESTIONS??
    Relationship between the greenhouse effect and global warming How is energy distributed to the earths surface? What are greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect? Impact of an increase in atmospheric CO2 on greenhouse effect Recent changes in greenhouse gas concentrations

    The Greenhouse Effect


    The Earths surface thus receives energy from two sources: the sun & the atmosphere
    As a result the Earths surface is ~33rC warmer than it would be without an atmosphere

    Greenhouse gases are transparent to shortwave but absorb long-wave radiation


    Thus the atmosphere stores energy

    Electromagnetic Spectrum
    incoming outgoing

    1. Shorter, high Energy wavelengths Hit the earths Surface

    2. Incoming energy Is converted to heat

    3. Longer, infrared Wavelengths hit Greenhouse gas Molecules in the atmosphere

    4. Greenhouse gas Molecules in the Atmosphere emit Infrared radiation Back towards earth

    78% nitrogen 20.6% oxygen < 1% argon 0.4% water vapor 0.036% carbon dioxide traces gases: Ne, He, Kr, H, O3 Methane, Nitrous Oxide

    Absorption Spectra of Atmospheric Gases


    UV Visible Infrared

    CH4 N2O O2 & O3 CO2 H 2O


    atmosphere WAVELENGTH (micrometers)

    Selected Greenhouse Gases


    Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
    Source: Fossil fuel burning, deforestation Anthropogenic increase: 30% Average atmospheric residence time: 500 years

    Methane (CH4)
    Source: Rice cultivation, cattle & sheep ranching, decay from landfills, mining Anthropogenic increase: 145% Average atmospheric residence time: 7-10 years

    Nitrous oxide (N2O)


    Source: Industry and agriculture (fertilizers) Anthropogenic increase: 15% Average atmospheric residence time: 140-190 years

    Summary
    Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation and prevent it from escaping to space. Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are very good at capturing energy at wavelengths that other compounds miss

    Greenhouse Effect & Global Warming


    The greenhouse effect & global warming are not the same thing.
    Global warming refers to a rise in the temperature of the surface of the earth

    An increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases leads to an increase in the the magnitude of the greenhouse effect. (Called enhanced greenhouse effect)
    This results in global warming

    Climate Change vs. Variability


    Climate variability is natural. Even in a stable climate regime, there will always be some variation (wet/dry years, warm/cold years) A year with completely average or normal climate conditions is rare The challenge for scientists is to determine whether any increase/decrease in precipitation, temperature, frequency of storms, sea level, etc. is due to climate variability or climate change.

    Climate Change vs. Variability


    14.5 14.4 57.8 14.3 14.2 14.1 14.0 13.9 13.8 13.7 13.6 56.4 13.5 56.2 13.4 58.0

    Variability
    57.6

    Average

    57.4 57.2 57.0 56.8 56.6

    1840

    1860

    1880

    1900

    1920

    1920

    1940

    1960

    1980

    2000

    www.gcrio.org/ipcc/qa/cover.html (modified)

    Global Energy Redistribution

    Radiation is not evenly distributed over the Surface of the earth. The northern latitudes have an energy deficit and the low latitude/ equator has an excess. But the low latitudes dont indefinitely get hotter and the northern latitudes dont get colder. Why? The atmosphere and ocean transfer energy from low latitudes to high

    Atmospheric Pressure Decreases With Height


    Above 99%

    Most of the energy is captured close to the surface That energy drives climate and weather

    Above 90%

    Above 50%

    Pressure (mb)

    50 percent of mass of the atmosphere is within 6 km of the surface

    Atmospheric Feedbacks
    POSITIVE
    Increased CO2

    NEGATIVE
    More water vapor & other changes

    +
    Higher temperature

    +
    More water vapor

    Increased cloud cover

    More reflected solar radiation

    More absorbed infrared radiation Lower temperature Less water vapor

    +
    Higher temperature More water vapor

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