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(Solved): How do greenhouse gases heat up Earth's troposphere? Greenhouse gases absorb incoming solar radiatio ...
How do greenhouse gases heat up Earth's troposphere? Greenhouse gases absorb incoming solar radiation and release that sunlight as heat at night. Greenhouse gases absorb incoming solar radiation in the form of longwave radiation and then they readmit that heat in all directions. Greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) are like a rechargeable battery for heat. They absorb longwave radiation from Earth, and then they readmit that heat in all directions. Greenhouse gases run together, like sticks, and generate heat as they vibrate.
How do greenhouse gases heat up Earth's troposphere? Greenhouse gases absorb incoming solar radiation and release that sunlight as heat at night. Greenhouse gases absorb incoming solar radiation in the form of longwave radiation and then they readmit that heat in all directions. Greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) are like a rechargeable battery for heat. They absorb longwave radiation from Earth, and then they readmit that heat in all directions. Greenhouse gases run together, like sticks, and generate heat as they vibrate.
Expert Answer
The correct option is Greenhouse gases absorb incoming solar radiation in the form of longwave radiation and then they readmit that heat in all directions. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor, have the ability to absorb certain wavelengths of longwave radiation (infrared radiation) that are emitted by the Earth's surface. These gases allow the incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun to pass through the atmosphere and reach the Earth's surface. The surface of the Earth absorbs this solar radiation and re-emits it in the form of longwave radiation.When this longwave radiation tries to escape back into space, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb a portion of it. The absorbed energy causes the greenhouse gases to vibrate and rotate at a molecular level, which increases their internal energy. As a result, the gases reemit the absorbed energy in all directions, including back towards the Earth's surface, as well as out towards space. This is called the greenhouse effect.By reemitting the absorbed heat back towards the Earth's surface, greenhouse gases effectively trap some of the thermal energy within the lower atmosphere, specifically the troposphere. This trapped energy leads to an increase in temperature in the troposphere, contributing to the overall warming of the Earth's climate system. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere, the more heat they can trap, leading to an enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming.