Final answer:
The question addresses the influence of greenhouse gases and surface albedo on global temperature, explaining how the greenhouse effect warms Earth and how alterations in greenhouse gas concentrations can lead to global warming.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the impact of greenhouse gases and albedo on global temperature levels. The greenhouse effect is the process where the Earth's atmosphere traps infrared radiation from the sun, re-emitted by the Earth, leading to a warmer global climate. This effect is enhanced by gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), which absorb and emit infrared radiation more effectively. On the other side, albedo refers to the reflectivity of the Earth's surface, with higher albedo surfaces reflecting more solar radiation and contributing to a cooling effect.
These concepts are essential for understanding the processes that control Earth's climate and the ramifications of human activities that alter these natural processes such as burning fossil fuels, which increases the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, exacerbating the greenhouse effect and contributing to global warming and climate change.