7:02 AM
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The effect of greenhouse gases on global warming
Greenhouse gases refer to gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide that absorb the infrared radiation from the sun and warm the lower atmosphere. A certain level of greenhouse gases is necessary to maintain the temperatures at which life on earth can exist. However, the rapid increases in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide since the onset of the industrial revolution has caused the earth to warm beyond these levels, leading to a rise in sea level and various effects on the global climate.
Greenhouse gases refer to gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide that absorb the infrared radiation from the sun and warm the lower atmosphere. A certain level of greenhouse gases is necessary to maintain the temperatures at which life on earth can exist. However, the rapid increases in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide since the onset of the industrial revolution has caused the earth to warm beyond these levels, leading to a rise in sea level and various effects on the global climate.
