BIOL 122 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Santa Barbara City College, Dew Point, 2Degrees
Document Summary
It is not sufficient alone to warm it. Solar radiation is the ultimate source of all energy for our planet. 1/3 of the light is immediately reflected back to outer space via the atmosphere. Atmosphere = the 600km thick layer of air that surrounds the planet the remainder (2/3) moves through the atmosphere where the high energy radiation (uv) is absorbed by clouds, land, water, etc. As these warm, they emit lower energy (infrared radiation (ir)) Ir is readily absorbed by gases in the atmosphere. This entire process = the greenhouse effect. Results from absorption of solar radiation by the earth and clouds. Only gases that absorb and re-emit it radiation are considered greenhouse gases. 99% of the gases in the atmosphere are either o2 or n2 if we exclude the water vapor. Greenhouse gases are not overly abundant (1%) but have disproportionately large effect on our climate and the heating of our planet.
