The greenhouse effect is a natural process that occurs in Earth's atmosphere. It involves the trapping of heat energy from the sun, leading to a warming effect on the planet's surface.
When sunlight reaches the Earth, some of it is absorbed by the surface while the rest is reflected back into space. The absorbed sunlight warms the Earth, and as a result, the surface emits heat in the form of infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and water vapor, present in the atmosphere, act as a kind of "blanket." They allow sunlight to pass through but absorb and re-emit the infrared radiation, trapping it within the atmosphere.
This trapped heat energy helps to maintain a relatively stable and habitable temperature on Earth, known as the natural greenhouse effect. Without it, the planet would be significantly colder. However, human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, have been increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This enhanced greenhouse effect, often referred to as anthropogenic or human-induced global warming, is leading to an increase in the Earth's average surface temperature, known as global warming.
The consequences of the enhanced greenhouse effect include rising global temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, sea level rise, melting of polar ice caps and glaciers, and potential disruptions to ecosystems and biodiversity. Mitigating the greenhouse effect and reducing greenhouse gas emissions has become a crucial global challenge to address climate change and its associated impacts.