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Greenhouse gas
 
 
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Greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb
Absorption (electromagnetic radiation)

In physics, absorption of electromagnetic radiation is the way by which the energy of a photon is taken up by matter, typically the electrons of an atom....
 and emit
Emission (electromagnetic radiation)

In physics, emission is the process by which the energy of a photon is released by another entity, for example, by an atom whose electrons make a transition between two electronic energy levels....
 radiation within the thermal infrared
Infrared

Infrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light , but shorter than that of terahertz radiation and microwaves ....
 range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect refers to the change in the steady state temperature of a planet or moon by the presence of an atmosphere containing gas that absorbs and emits infrared....
. Common greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere include water vapor
Water vapor

Water vapor or water vapour , also aqueous vapor, is the gas phase of water . Water vapor is one Phase of the water cycle within the hydrosphere....
, carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
, methane
Methane

Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula . It is the simplest alkane, and the principal component of natural gas. Methane's bond angles are 109.5 degrees....
, nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as "laughing gas", is a chemical compound with the chemical formula Nitrogen2Oxygen. At room temperature, it is a colorless Flammability gas, with a pleasant, slightly sweet odor and taste....
, ozone
Ozone

Ozone or trioxygen is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic O2....
, and chlorofluorocarbons.

In our solar system, the atmospheres of Venus
Atmosphere of Venus

The atmosphere of Venus was discovered in 1761 by Russian polymath Mikhail Lomonosov. It is much denser and hotter than that of Earth. The temperature and pressure at the surface are 740 K and 93 bar, respectively....
, Mars
Atmosphere of Mars

Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has a very different celestial body atmosphere from that of Earth's atmosphere. There has been much interest in studying its composition since the recent detection of a small amount of methane, which may signal life on Mars; it could also be a Geochemistry process or the result of Volcano or hydrothermal activi...
 and Titan
Titan (moon)

Titan or Saturn VI is the largest natural satellite of Saturn, the only moon known to have a dense celestial body atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
 also contain gases that cause greenhouse effects.

Greenhouse gases, mainly water vapor, are essential to helping determine the temperature of the Earth; without them this planet would likely be so cold as to be uninhabitable.






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Encyclopedia


Greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb
Absorption (electromagnetic radiation)

In physics, absorption of electromagnetic radiation is the way by which the energy of a photon is taken up by matter, typically the electrons of an atom....
 and emit
Emission (electromagnetic radiation)

In physics, emission is the process by which the energy of a photon is released by another entity, for example, by an atom whose electrons make a transition between two electronic energy levels....
 radiation within the thermal infrared
Infrared

Infrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light , but shorter than that of terahertz radiation and microwaves ....
 range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect refers to the change in the steady state temperature of a planet or moon by the presence of an atmosphere containing gas that absorbs and emits infrared....
. Common greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere include water vapor
Water vapor

Water vapor or water vapour , also aqueous vapor, is the gas phase of water . Water vapor is one Phase of the water cycle within the hydrosphere....
, carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
, methane
Methane

Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula . It is the simplest alkane, and the principal component of natural gas. Methane's bond angles are 109.5 degrees....
, nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as "laughing gas", is a chemical compound with the chemical formula Nitrogen2Oxygen. At room temperature, it is a colorless Flammability gas, with a pleasant, slightly sweet odor and taste....
, ozone
Ozone

Ozone or trioxygen is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic O2....
, and chlorofluorocarbons.

In our solar system, the atmospheres of Venus
Atmosphere of Venus

The atmosphere of Venus was discovered in 1761 by Russian polymath Mikhail Lomonosov. It is much denser and hotter than that of Earth. The temperature and pressure at the surface are 740 K and 93 bar, respectively....
, Mars
Atmosphere of Mars

Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has a very different celestial body atmosphere from that of Earth's atmosphere. There has been much interest in studying its composition since the recent detection of a small amount of methane, which may signal life on Mars; it could also be a Geochemistry process or the result of Volcano or hydrothermal activi...
 and Titan
Titan (moon)

Titan or Saturn VI is the largest natural satellite of Saturn, the only moon known to have a dense celestial body atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
 also contain gases that cause greenhouse effects.

Greenhouse gases, mainly water vapor, are essential to helping determine the temperature of the Earth; without them this planet would likely be so cold as to be uninhabitable. Although many factors such as the sun and the water cycle are responsible for the Earth's weather and energy balance, if all else was held equal and stable, the planet's average temperature should be considerably lower without greenhouse gases.

Human activities have an impact upon the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which has other effects upon the system, with their own possible repercussions. The most recent assessment report compiled by the IPCC
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report

Climate Change 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , is the fourth in a series of such reports....
 observed that "changes in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols, land cover and solar radiation alter the energy balance of the climate system", and concluded that "increases in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations is very likely to have caused most of the increases in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century".

See also effects of global warming
Effects of global warming

The effects of global warming on the natural environment and civilization are numerous and varied.Scenarios studied by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predict that global warming will continue and get worse much faster than was expected even in their last report....


Greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere