Final answer:
Heat is added to air through solar radiation and when air pressure increases, contributing to phenomena such as thunderstorms and hurricanes due to the heat released during condensation in the atmosphere.
Step-by-step explanation:
Heat can be added to air by solar radiation, long wave earth radiation, moisture condensation, contact with the warm ground, or when air pressure increases. One way heat is added to the Earth's atmosphere is through the trapping of long wave infrared radiation by greenhouse gases, a process that prevents heat from escaping into space. Additionally, the phase change from water evaporation and subsequent condensation in the atmosphere releases latent heat, which increases the temperature. This is particularly evident in the mechanism driving thunderstorms and hurricanes, where convection carries water vapor into colder regions of the atmosphere, leading to condensation and the release of energy that causes the air to expand and rise.