Question

Radiation from the sun comes to Earth and initially passes straight through the atmosphere to Earth's surface where it reflects back out toward space. Most of it does bounce off Earth and go back into space, but a fraction of it is trapped by gases in the atmosphere. The gases that trap the radiation are carbon dioxide, methane, and water. This trapping of heat is why Earth has such a cozy temperature for life. This whole process is called the _________

Answer 1

The greenhouse effect is the natural process by which greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere trap infrared radiation re-emitted by the surface, resulting in warmer surface temperatures crucial for sustaining life.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process described in the student's question, where radiation from the sun is trapped by gases in Earth's atmosphere, leading to warmer surface temperatures, is called the greenhouse effect. This natural phenomenon is crucial for maintaining temperatures suitable for life on our planet. Incoming solar radiation primarily in the visible spectrum penetrates Earth's atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. The Earth then re-emits this energy in the form of infrared radiation, which has longer wavelengths than the sunlight absorbed. Gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and water vapor (H₂O) in the atmosphere trap this infrared radiation, radiating some of it back towards the Earth's surface and thus keeping the planet warm. Greenhouse gases play a crucial role in this process. An increase in the concentrations of these gases can lead to higher surface temperatures, a concept at the core of discussions around global warming and climate change.