Which of the following is an important greenhouse gas

Many of the chemical compounds in the earth's atmosphere act as greenhouse gases. When sunlight strikes the earth’s surface, some of it radiates back toward space as infrared radiation (heat). Greenhouse gases absorb this infrared radiation and trap its heat in the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that results in global warming and climate change.

Many gases exhibit these greenhouse properties. Some gases occur naturally and are also produced by human activities. Some, such as industrial gases, are exclusively human made.

did youknow

?

Without naturally occurring greenhouse gases, the earth would be too cold to support life as we know it. Without the greenhouse effect, the average temperature of the earth would be about -2°F rather than the 57°F we currently experience.

Which of the following is an important greenhouse gas

Source: Adapted from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (public domain)

What are the types of greenhouse gases?

Several major greenhouse gases that result from human activity are included in U.S. and international estimates of greenhouse gas emissions:

  • Carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Methane (CH4)
  • Nitrous oxide (N2O)
  • Industrial gases:
    • Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
    • Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
    • Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
    • Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)

Other greenhouse gases not counted in U.S. or international greenhouse gas inventories are water vapor and ozone.

Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas, but most scientists believe that water vapor produced directly by human activity contributes very little to the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. Therefore, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) does not estimate emissions of water vapor.

Ozone is technically a greenhouse gas, but ozone is helpful or harmful depending on where it is found in the earth's atmosphere. Ozone occurs naturally at higher elevations in the atmosphere (the stratosphere) where it blocks ultraviolet (UV) light that is harmful to plant and animal life from reaching the earth’s surface. The protective benefits of stratospheric ozone outweigh its contribution to the greenhouse effect. The United States and countries all around the world ban and control production and use of several industrial gases that destroy atmospheric ozone and create holes in the ozone layer. Learn more about ozone layer protection. At lower elevations of the atmosphere (the troposphere), ozone is harmful to human health. Learn more about ground-level ozone pollution and what is being done to reduce ozone pollution.

Greenhouse gases are the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that produce the greenhouse effect. Most greenhouse gases can have either a natural or an anthropogenic (man-made) source.

Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases are those gases in the atmosphere that have an influence on the earth's energy balance. They cause the so-called greenhouse effect. The best known greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide, can be found naturally in low concentrations in the atmosphere. However, the proportion has increased significantly since the beginning of the last century due to various man-made sources.

In addition to these trace gases, which can only be found in very low concentrations in the atmosphere, water vapour is probably the most important greenhouse gas. However, it only plays a major role in relation to the natural greenhouse effect, since the absorption capacity of water vapour in the air is directly related to temperature. Water vapour therefore has little influence on man-made climate change.

 

The concentration of greenhouse gases

Not only does the concentration of greenhouse gases influence Earth’s temperature but temperature fluctuations caused by natural climate factors in turn alter these concentrations. CO2 concentrations of between 180 and 300 ppm (parts per million) have been ascertained for the last 800,000 years from Arctic ice and sediment core samples.

 

Pre-industrial concentration

Which of the following is an important greenhouse gas

Source: myclimate climate booklet 2019

CO2: Carbon dioxide – chemical compound of carbon and oxygen. 

N2O: Nitrous oxide

CH4: Methane – chemical compound of carbon and hydrogen. 

 

Comparison of warming potential

Which of the following is an important greenhouse gas

Source: myclimate climate booklet 2019

The respective influence of CO2, CH4 and N2O on the climate varies. Thus, CH4 and N2O have a disproportionate impact on the greenhouse effect relative to their comparatively small atmospheric concentrations.

In order to compare the respective impact on the climate and the warming potential of the greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide are measured in CO2 equivalents (CO2e).

For this purpose, emissions are multiplied by the respective climate impact factor. The basis for this calculation is CO2 with a warming potential of one.

 

You can find further exciting information on the subject of climate change and climate protection in our climate booklet

Which of the following is an important greenhouse gas quizlet?

ozone and methane. The answer is B. Green house gases are gases wherein they have the ability to trap heat thus causing global warming. Examples of which are carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone.

What are the 4 most important greenhouse gases?

Earth's greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. The main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor (which all occur naturally), and fluorinated gases (which are synthetic).

What are the three most important greenhouse gases?

The three greenhouse gases that are of most concern are Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), and Methane (CH4). 2. Greenhouse gases are naturally produced; however humans produce additional amounts of certain greenhouse gases.

What are the two most important greenhouse gases?

Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour are the most important greenhouse gases. (To a lesser extent, surface-level ozone, nitrous oxides, and fluorinated gases also trap infrared radiation.)