Question

What are greenhouse gases and how do they affect the climate?

Answer 1

Greenhouse gases:-

1. A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs and emits infrared radiation.
2. They absorb infrared energy (heat energy) emitted from the Earth’s surface and reradiate it back to the Earth’s surface.
3. The greenhouse gases trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere and warm the planet.

Greenhouse gases' effect on climate:-

1. This greenhouse effect traps radiation from the sun and warms the planet's surface.
2. The major greenhouse gases emitted by the United States as a result of human activity, and their percentage share of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions of $6558$ million metric tons in $2019$ were:

a) Carbon dioxide ($C{O}_2$)—$80.1\%$
b) Methane ($C{H}_4$)—$10.1\%$
c) Nitrous oxide ($N_{2}O$)—$7\%$
d) Hydrofluorocarbons ($HFCs$)—$2.7\%$
e) Perfluorocarbons ($PFCs$), sulfur hexafluoride ($S{F}_6$), and nitrogen triflouride ($N{F}_3$) combined—$0.2\%$.

3. There will also be other climatic repercussions like the melting of polar ice caps and the melting of the Himalayan snowcaps.
4. Over many years, there will also be a rise in sea level leading to a submerging of many coastal places, islands, etc.
5. It will also lead to a loss of ecosystems like marshes and swamps.