The greenhouse effect is what that makes the life possible on earth. Intensification of this process will lead to global warming. This article is all about what exactly these processes are and how are they interrelated.
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Energy from the sun passes through the atmosphere comes to the surface of the earth. A larger portion of this energy is absorbed by the earth surface. The atmosphere will absorb another smaller portion of this energy. The remaining energy will be reflected back to space. Since the earth has lesser heat content than the sun, it will emit rays with higher wavelength and lower energy level than that of emitted by the sun. A large amount of these reflections is again absorbed by the clouds and other atmospheric particles and again re-radiated to the earth surface. This warming of earth surface by these incoming and outgoing radiations is called greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide etc are responsible for the so-called effect. The trapping of energy is maintained by these gasses. The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring phenomenon. But several factors can intensify it which can lead to over warming of the earth.
What if there was no greenhouse effect?
Without the natural greenhouse effect, the temperature on the earth surface would be below freezing point. The presence of weather and moreover the survival of living things would be difficult.
GLOBAL WARMING & ITS EFFECTS
The intensification of the greenhouse effect will lead to global warming. This intensification happens due to the clearing of forests, burning of fossil fuels etc. These processes enhance the carbon-dioxide content in the atmosphere thereby enhancing the intensity of the naturally occurring greenhouse effect and causing the unusual rise of average temperature of earth which is referred to as global warming.
Photosynthesis is responsible for maintaining the oxygen content in the atmosphere. It is the process by which the plants and bacteria use the light energy from the sun, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and water to produce sugar molecules and oxygen. If there are no plants and trees photosynthesis will not happen and the carbon-dioxide content in the atmosphere will increase significantly and thereby increase the normal heat content in the earth surface. Also, the burning of fossil fuels will increase the carbon-dioxide content in the atmosphere. That is why clearing forests and burning fossil fuels will contribute much to the global warming phenomenon.
When the temperature of the atmosphere rises, more water from the oceans, rivers, and seas will get evaporated. This evaporation will lead to the occurrence of more and more water vapor content in the atmosphere. This water vapor will increase the humidity in the atmosphere. More the water vapor content more will be their absorption of energy radiated from the earth. This will lead to the warming of the atmosphere.
Global warming affects the human life, seasons, and the agricultural productivity. It can have a tremendous effect on the usual weather conditions. It affects the health life of the human. Also due to this overheating, plants and animals are likely to have several health issues. The timing of the seasonal events also changes from the usual manner.
Ways to prevent global warming
Ways to prevent global warming
- Stop clearing forests and always try to plant more trees.
- Reduce the burning of fossil fuels.
- Recycle the industrial and residential wasteful substances.
Use the resources wisely and save our environment from several hazardous issues. Save our planet using the resources in a smart way.
