Carbon Dioxide And Climate Change - What Is The Link?
5:48 PM // 0 comments // sb blogger // Category: Carbon Dioxide , fossil fuels //By Roger Vanderlely
The most significant property of Carbon Dioxide, from a human point of view, is its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere that would otherwise be lost to space.
Why does this happen?
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.
That energy is released in the same form, as heat. Also, it is given off equally in all directions. The important point here is that a fair portion of that released heat is emitted 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.
Even a slight rise in surface temperature can have significant effects. A warmer surface temperature means a warmer ocean surface. This leads to more evaporation which not only changes weather patterns but also increases the heating effect since water vapor behaves the same way as Carbon Dioxide.
The heat blanket effect of Carbon Dioxide is a highly significant property that we ignore at our peril. It is the main reason why we need to seek ways of producing energy that do not release more of this gas into the atmosphere. - 39468
Why does this happen?
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.
That energy is released in the same form, as heat. Also, it is given off equally in all directions. The important point here is that a fair portion of that released heat is emitted 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.
Even a slight rise in surface temperature can have significant effects. A warmer surface temperature means a warmer ocean surface. This leads to more evaporation which not only changes weather patterns but also increases the heating effect since water vapor behaves the same way as Carbon Dioxide.
The heat blanket effect of Carbon Dioxide is a highly significant property that we ignore at our peril. It is the main reason why we need to seek ways of producing energy that do not release more of this gas into the atmosphere. - 39468
About the Author:
Get more information on the solar greenhouse effect at Roger Vanderlely's website, www.green-planet-solar-energy.com. There you can also read about solar energy solutions for you such as cheap solar panels for your home.
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