How Does Carbon Dioxide Cause Global Warming?
5:56 PM // 0 comments // sb blogger // Category: Carbon Dioxide , Global warming //By Roger Vanderlely
Perhaps the most concerning property of Carbon Dioxide as far as we are concerned is its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere, heat that would otherwise be lost to space.
How does it work?
Along with methane and water, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) absorbs energy at longer wavelengths than the other major atmospheric gases Nitrogen (N2) and Oxygen (O2).
CO2 molecules that are exposed to heat absorb this long wavelength energy. This makes the molecules speed up and makes the chemical bonds inside the molecule vibrate more than normal. The Carbon Dioxide molecules eventually lose this added energy and so return to the state they were in before they were heated.
The energy it releases is the same as the energy it absorbed, and so it not only absorbs but also emits long wavelength energy. This energy is radiated in all directions; upwards into space, and downwards back towards the Earth.
What is the Problem?
For every extra molecule of CO2 in the atmosphere, additional heat is reflected down back towards the Earth. This means that some heat that would otherwise have been lost from the atmosphere is trapped. Given large enough quantities of CO2 in the atmosphere the amount of trapped heat will cause a rise in the surface temperature.
A rise in the surface temperature is not good news. Even the slightest increase in temperatures could have a raft of unpleasant consequences. One possible effect is the heating of the surface of the ocean. This could not only change weather patterns but could well lead to greater evaporation from the oceans which in turn compounds the problem, since water vapor is also a potent greenhouse gas.
It is important to keep this most significant of carbon dioxide properties in mind, as doing so will motivate us to reduce our carbon emissions. The most effective way to do this is to develop clean energy sources. - 39468
How does it work?
Along with methane and water, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) absorbs energy at longer wavelengths than the other major atmospheric gases Nitrogen (N2) and Oxygen (O2).
CO2 molecules that are exposed to heat absorb this long wavelength energy. This makes the molecules speed up and makes the chemical bonds inside the molecule vibrate more than normal. The Carbon Dioxide molecules eventually lose this added energy and so return to the state they were in before they were heated.
The energy it releases is the same as the energy it absorbed, and so it not only absorbs but also emits long wavelength energy. This energy is radiated in all directions; upwards into space, and downwards back towards the Earth.
What is the Problem?
For every extra molecule of CO2 in the atmosphere, additional heat is reflected down back towards the Earth. This means that some heat that would otherwise have been lost from the atmosphere is trapped. Given large enough quantities of CO2 in the atmosphere the amount of trapped heat will cause a rise in the surface temperature.
A rise in the surface temperature is not good news. Even the slightest increase in temperatures could have a raft of unpleasant consequences. One possible effect is the heating of the surface of the ocean. This could not only change weather patterns but could well lead to greater evaporation from the oceans which in turn compounds the problem, since water vapor is also a potent greenhouse gas.
It is important to keep this most significant of carbon dioxide properties in mind, as doing so will motivate us to reduce our carbon emissions. The most effective way to do this is to develop clean energy sources. - 39468
About the Author:
Learn more about the solar greenhouse effect at www.green-planet-solar-energy.com, Roger Vanderlely's website. There you'll also find lots of information on solar power solutions such as how to find good deals on cheap solar panels.
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