Questions and Answers
What is the main purpose of this episode of Top Five Things to Know?
What do gases such as CO2 and CFCs do in the atmosphere?
What is global warming?
What is the main function of the greenhouse effect?
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What is the correct sequence of events in the greenhouse effect?
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What type of radiation is converted to heat when it passes through the atmosphere?
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What is the primary reason the greenhouse effect works?
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What is the current trend in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
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What is the relationship between the Earth's temperature and carbon dioxide levels?
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What is the main factor that determines whether the Earth experiences warming or cooling?
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What is a natural factor that contributes to changes in the Earth's temperature?
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Why are fossil fuels the most popular energy source?
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What is a byproduct of trash decomposition?
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What is a human contribution to greenhouse gas concentrations?
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Why is methane gas often released to the air from landfills?
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Study Notes
Global Warming Background
- Global warming refers to an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere near its surface, resulting from natural or human causes, which may lead to a change in global climate patterns.
Greenhouse Effect
- The greenhouse effect is the normal trapping of the earth's heat in the lower atmosphere, due to the conversion of light into heat as it strikes the earth's surface.
- Visible light passes through the atmosphere and is converted to infrared radiation (heat), which is then trapped and reflected back to the earth by gases in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse Gases
- Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), water vapor, nitrous oxide (N2O), and CFCs, trap heat in the atmosphere.
- The concentration of these gases can change, leading to an increase or decrease in the amount of heat trapped.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen from 315 parts per million (ppm) in 1960 to 391 ppm in 2012.
- The estimated CO2 concentration during pre-Industrial Revolution times was 280 ppm.
- Natural causes of greenhouse gases include volcanoes and animal waste, while human causes include combustion of fossil fuels and increased animal waste production from livestock.
Temperature Fluctuations
- The average global temperature fluctuates over time, with evidence of past ice ages and warming periods.
- Scientists have combined data from various sources to create a timeline of the earth's average temperature, showing regular fluctuations.
Causes of Global Warming
- Global warming can have natural or human causes, with natural causes including an increase in greenhouse gases and cooling cycles led by a decrease in greenhouse gases.
- Human contributions to greenhouse gas concentrations include burning fossil fuels and decomposition of trash, leading to an increase in carbon dioxide and methane concentrations.
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Description
Learn about the basics of global warming, its causes, and the natural process of the greenhouse effect that affects the Earth's climate.