Greenhouse effect
From Envirowiki
The greenhouse effect describes the energy exchanges between the heat from the sun, earth's surface, and earth's atmosphere.
[edit] 1 What causes the greenhouse effect?
Energy from the sun comes in at numerous wavelengths, including some high-frequency wavelengths (such as UV light). These higher-frequency wavelengths pass through the earth's atmopshere relatively easily, and are absorbed by the lower atmosphere, land, or sea. The energy absorbed is later released, but because it is release from a lower temperature, it is released at a lower frequency. This lower frequency radiation doesn't pass through the earth's atmosphere as easily, and the energy gets trapped as heat.
[edit] 2 Limits to the greenhouse effect
The amount of heat in the earth's atmosphere is limited by the density of greenhouse gasses, as well as the amount of energy coming from the sun. More greenhouse gasses means more heat storage capacity, causing global warming. Excess heat over this capacity is eventually radiated into space; the spare capacity not yet filled is eventually filled by the energy from the sun.
