The process by which atmospheric gases like CO2 and methane trap heat and keep Earth warm is known as the greenhouse effect. It is essential for maintaining Earth's temperature but has also been linked to global warming due to an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations from human activities.
The absorption of terrestrial radiation in the atmosphere by gases like methane and CO2, which helps keep the Earth warm, is commonly known as the greenhouse effect. This natural process is crucial as it maintains Earth's surface temperature approximately 40°C higher than it would be without these gases. Nevertheless, an increase in the concentrations of these greenhouse gases, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, is believed to lead to global warming by trapping more heat in the atmosphere.
The greenhouse effect operates by allowing incoming solar radiation to pass through the atmosphere and be absorbed by Earth's surface, which then re-emits this energy as infrared radiation. However, greenhouse gases like CO2 and water vapor are very effective at absorbing and reradiating this infrared energy back to Earth, thereby warming the planet. As the concentration of these gases rises, more heat is retained, leading to an increase in Earth's average surface temperature.