Lower Atmosphere

Basics

Unit 2
Greenhouse effect, light and the biosphere

When we speak about climate, most people also have in mind global warming. And when we speak about global warming, most of us have in mind the greenhouse effect. But what is the greenhouse effect exactly?

Has man made the Earth a greenhouse?

The energy driving our climate comes from the sun. But what does happen to this energy when it passes the atmosphere. What happens when light falls on clouds, when it reaches the Earth surface? Not only the sun sends light to the Earth. The Earth warms and sends radiation back. Also this radiation does not directly go back to the space. There are greenhouse gases and clouds in between. In the first part of this Unit we will see how the energy supply of our planet works and learn about the greenhouse effect.

In a second part we will learn about what plants emit to the atmosphere, either during their life or if they are consumed in vegetation fires.

Without the greenhouse effect,life
wouldn't be possible on Earth.

About this page:

author: Dr. Elmar Uherek, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz/Germany
scientific reviewer: Dr. Pascal Guyon, MPI for Chemistry - Mainz
last published: 2004-05-12