• Question: What is the Greenhouse effect?

    Asked by mmsp to David, Luna, Probash on 25 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Probash Chowdhury

      Probash Chowdhury answered on 24 Mar 2011:

      This is when the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere is worn away letting the harmful rays from the sun. This in turn changes the balance of the temperature around our planet (used to be thought that it only warmed the planet – global warming) and in turn upsets the balance of nature.

    • Photo: David Pyle

      David Pyle answered on 25 Mar 2011:

      Light energy from the hot sun arrives at the Earth with a short (visible to ultraviolet) wavelength, and is absorbed by the Earth’s surface. Earth’s cool surface re-emits energy at longer wavelengths (infrared) back to space, but on the way this energy interacts with gas molecules in the atmosphere. The Greenhouse effect describes the way that the infrared energy may be absorbed by particular molecules (including carbon dioxide and methane) in the atmosphere, leading to a warming effect. Without an atmosphere, the Earth’s surface would be at an average temperature of about -18 C.

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