what gas allowed earths atmosphere to absorb and maintain heat
Greenhouse Upshot
Pupils' Information Sheet
What is the atmosphere?
The atmosphere is a mixture of gases and particles which form a blanket effectually the Earth. The atmosphere contains just the right amount of oxygen to permit u.s.a. to breathe; it protects us from the Lord's day's radiation and helps maintain the temperature of our planet at a level which is comfy for living things.
The atmosphere stretches for over 500km upward from the World'southward surface and is made up of several layers, shown in Figure one overleaf. The boilerplate composition of the atmosphere is approximately 78% nitrogen (Due north2) and 21% oxygen (O2). The other 1% consists mainly of argon and carbon dioxide with very small amounts of other gases such as methyl hydride, nitrous oxide and CFCs.
The Troposphere
is the everyman layer of the Earth's atmosphere and spans from the Earth'due south surface up to about 15km. Most 80-90% of gases in the temper are found within this layer. The temperature within the layer decreases the college one climbs. All of the Globe'south weather systems are independent within the troposphere.
The Stratosphere
Supersonic aircraft, such equally Concorde, fly in this level of the temper. Different the troposphere, the temperature in the stratosphere increases with altitude, and there is little or no h2o vapour. The ozone layer is found in this layer of our atmosphere.
The Mesosphere
Many satellites orbit the Earth within this layer, and the Aurorae (the Northern and Southern Lights) likewise occur in this layer. The everyman temperatures in the whole of the atmosphere are in the mesosphere.
The Thermosphere
This layer absorbs free energy from the Sun and temperatures within the layer can reach as high as 700�C. In that location are very few gases or particles in this region of the atmosphere, and it is the last layer that space rockets have to travel through before they reach the near vacuum of infinite.
What is the natural greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse outcome is a natural phenomenon which allows the Globe to exist warm enough to support life. Without the greenhouse effect the average temperature of the earth would be -xviii degrees Celsius (�C), about the temperature at the North Pole!
The greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act in a like fashion to panes of glass in a greenhouse (see Figure 2 below). Radiations from the Sun (consisting mainly of visible and ultraviolet (UV) radiation) can travel through glass into the greenhouse. When this radiations is captivated by objects in the greenhouse, it is re-radiated as infrared (IR) radiation, or oestrus. This rut cannot escape through the glass, so the greenhouse warms up.
The greenhouse gases in the atmosphere produce a similar consequence. The Sun's radiation passes through the atmosphere, is absorbed by the surface of the Earth, and is re-radiated every bit infrared radiations. This is then captivated or reflected past the greenhouse gases, rather than escaping to infinite, therefore warming the atmosphere. Figure 3 below shows this result.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
Inside the past few hundred years human activities have increased the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the temper. Scientists believe that the improver of greenhouse gases from these activities has thrown the natural greenhouse effect out of balance, and that the atmosphere is trapping also much rut and causing the temperature of the Earth to rise. This is known as the enhanced greenhouse effect or global warming (Effigy 4).
What are the greenhouse gases?
About of the gases (apart from ozone) which give ascension to the natural greenhouse effect permit through ultraviolet and visible radiation, simply absorb infrared radiations. The principal greenhouse gases are:
- H2o Vapour (HtwoO)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- Methane (CHfour)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
- Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- Ozone (O3)
Greenhouse gases make up a very small percentage of the concentration of the gases in the temper; nitrogen and oxygen make up 99%! Carbon dioxide, for example, makes upward simply 0.037% of the gases in the atmosphere.
Figure 5 shows how the diverse greenhouse gases have contributed to the enhanced greenhouse consequence or global warming during the last 200 years.
Where do greenhouse gases come from?
Water vapour is the near important greenhouse gas, and occurs naturally in the atmosphere because of evaporation from the oceans and by a process known as transpiration in plants. We have very little or no control over the amount of water in the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas which has human-made sources. Carbon dioxide is released by animals (including humans) when they breathe, by called-for fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) or woods, and through the cutting downward of trees and plants which have in carbon dioxide.
Methane is produced naturally when vegetation is burnt, digested or allowed to rot without oxygen being present. Methane also comes from rice fields, grazing cattle, landfill sites total of household rubbish, and coal mines. 90% of rubbish in the U.k. is disposed of in landfill sites, making up 29% of total human-made methyl hydride emissions in the Uk.
Nitrous oxide is produced naturally by the oceans. Man-fabricated sources of nitrous oxide include the use of fertilisers on farms and the production of nylon.
CFCs practise not be naturally; they are man-fabricated chemicals used in air conditioning, fridges and polystyrene cream. CFCs are also very powerful ozone depleters.
HCFCs and HFCs are likewise man-made chemicals; they are used as replacements for CFCs.
What is incorrect with global warming?
Although global warming may mean warmer atmospheric condition, information technology could also lead to many changes in our normal lives. Nobody is sure how severe the effects will be.
Sea levels may rise; equally warmer conditions would melt the polar ice caps, parts of the globe may disappear, for example the Republic of the maldives, Bangladesh and fifty-fifty East Anglia!!
H2o Supplies might be affected. In some areas in that location will be more rain, whilst other areas might feel drier weather and somewhen droughts.
Agriculture could be affected. Warmer climates might mean longer growing seasons. On the other hand, crops might exist affected by less water and an increase in the number of pests and parasites.
'Tropical' diseases might get a widespread problem in a warmer world.
What tin can exist done to end global warming?
There are many ways we, individually and as a family, tin help cease global warming. All involve reducing our energy use, or free energy used to make products which nosotros buy, which reduces the amount of greenhouse gases released
- Use less electricity gas and oil.
- Turn off unnecessary lights.
- Walk, bike or catch the bus to school instead of going in the car.
- Turn the thermostat of your fundamental heating down by 1�C. This can help you salvage upwards to x% on your family unit'southward fuel bills.
- Recycle your household rubbish; items made of glass, metal plastic or paper can all be recycled.
- Do not buy products which use also much packaging.
- Re-utilise plastic carrier bags when you go the supermarket.
- Merely buy wood and wood products grown in sustainable forests.
- Go involved with a local environmental group.
Questions/further work
1. Can you think of other ways in which the private may help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?
two. If you were taking a trip in a NASA infinite shuttle, depict the conditions and views you would experience as y'all travel through the Globe'southward atmosphere.
three. Can you list ten adept and ten bad points nearly a warmer globe?
4. If the Earth did not have a greenhouse effect, describe what life would be like on the surface. Which planet would the World exist well-nigh like: Venus, Jupiter or Mars?
five. How do cars, buses and trains enhance the natural greenhouse issue?
EXPERIMENT
Introduction
The greenhouse event is a very important natural phenomenon. Without the greenhouse consequence life on Earth would be very unlike. The greenhouse gases trap heat energy assuasive the Earth to keep warm. If they were non there, the temperature of the Earth would exist about 30�C colder than it is now.
Mankind'south activities have led to an increment in the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and if this continues it could have many effects on the Globe.
Aim
To make a 'greenhouse' and to test the effect it has on air temperature.
Equipment
- One two litre clear plastic drinks bottle.
- One nail.
- Two thermometers.
- One piece of blackness paper or card.
- Blu-tac.
Method: Creating a Greenhouse
1) Advisedly brand a pigsty in the tiptop of the drinks bottle with the nail. Place a piece of blackness paper in the canteen. This will help to absorb sunlight and re-radiate it equally infra-red radiation.
two) Insert one of the thermometers into the hole and so that the bulb of the thermometer is in the middle of the bottle. If necessary, secure the thermometer with blu-tac to ensure an closed seal. Make sure both thermometers are at the aforementioned temperature.
3) Place the bottle in sunlight. The experiment will work best on a sunny day.
4) Put the 2nd thermometer next to the bottle, brand sure that information technology is receiving the aforementioned amount of sunlight equally the canteen.
five) Later xx minutes read and tape the temperatures on both the thermometers.
Results
Initial temperature of both thermometers: = �C
Last temperature of thermometer in bottle: = �C
Terminal temperature of exposed thermometer: = �C
Which thermometer recorded the highest temperature?
Why practise you call back this is?
Determination
The plastic drinks canteen works in the same way as a greenhouse; it allows sunlight to enter the bottle but it does non allow the heat radiation to pass dorsum out of the canteen, causing the temperature within the bottle to rising.
Source: https://www.lordgrey.org.uk/~f014/usefulresources/aric/Resources/Teaching_Packs/Key_Stage_4/Climate_Change/01p.html
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