Greenhouse Effect Flashcards
What is are green house gases?
The layer of the atmosphere that surrounds the earth which consists of gases such as {carbon dioxide, oxygen, water vapour, methane gas as well as a special group of gases known as chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs.}
This is known as the greenhouse gases
What do these gases act like?
They act like a greenhouse, letting incoming light or solar energy (from the Sun) heat up the earth’s surface.
Does all the light reach the earth?
No, not all the sunlight reaches the Earth’s surface, some is scattered back into space and some are reflected off surfaces such as ice and deserts.
What happens to the light that reaches the ground surface of the earth?
The light which reaches the ground surface of the earth heats it up and that heat energy radiates back into the atmosphere helping to maintain warm temperatures on the Earth’s surface.
What is the greenhouse effect?
When the atmosphere traps the heat that is being radiated back out into the atmosphere. This is known as the Greenhouse Effect.
What happens when there are too many of these gases?
When there are too many of these gases such as CFCs, more heat is trapped in the atmosphere.
When more heat is trapped in the atmosphere what does it cause?
This causes an enhanced greenhouse effect causing a sort of overheating of the Earth.
When there is overheating on the earth what is it called?
It is known as global warming
