Greenhouse Gases & Human Activities Flashcards
What is stage 1 of the process of the greenhouse effect?
The Sun emits short-wavelength radiation that enters the atmosphere and travels towards the Earth.
What is stage 2 of the process of the greenhouse effect?
The Earth absorbs a portion of this radiation, but longer wavelength radiation is reflected back into the atmosphere.
What is stage 3 of the process of the greenhouse effect?
Greenhouse gases can’t absorb the short wavelength radiation emitted by the Sun, but they can absorb the reflected radiation.
What is stage 4 of the process of the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse gases re-radiate this as heat energy, some of which heads back to Earth.
What is stage 5 of the process of the greenhouse effect?
This increases the temperature at the Earth’s surface.
What does burning fossil fuels do?
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide.
What does deforestation cause?
The global rate of photosynthesis will decrease.
Why will less carbon dioxide be removed from the atmosphere because of deforestation?
Carbon dioxide is a reactant for photosynthesis. And trees use photosynthesis.
What is happening because of the increase of landfill sites?
Why is this bad?
More mounds of waste are decomposing. Decomposing releases methane, which is a greenhouse gas.
What do farm animals do?
They release methane during digestion.
What is happening because of the increase of agriculture?
More methane is being released into the atmosphere by livestock.
What are four reasons of human activity causing climate change?
More agriculture, more landfill sites, deforestation, and burning fossil fuels.
