Solution:Greenhouse gases are atmospheric gases that trap heat from the Earth's surface, contributing to the greenhouse effect. This phenomenon is leading to significant global warming and climate change.Solar insolation (short wave radiation) reaches the Earth and is transparent to the Earth's atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is absorbed by the earth's surface, which increases its temperature. The earth's surface radiates back the rest of the heat to the atmosphere (Long-Wave Radiation). Some of the heat is trapped by greenhouse gases such as Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone, Nitrous Oxide, Chlorofluorocarbon compounds (CFCs), and Water Vapor in the atmosphere. Thus, they add to the heating, which is known as the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere. This causes global warming. However, life on Earth could not exist without some naturally occurring greenhouse gases. Without them, no heat would be trapped in the atmosphere, leading to extreme cold or permafrost conditions.
The greenhouse effect is primarily caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and water vapor. These gases trap heat from the sun, preventing it from escaping back into space, leading to a warming greenhouse effect. Human activities like burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas), deforestation, and industrial processes significantly increase the concentration of these gases causing greenhouse effect. Natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions and solar radiation, also contribute, but human actions are the dominant drivers of the enhanced greenhouse effect.
