Greenhouse Gases Trap Heat from the Sun Flashcards
What is a temperature of the Earth a balance between?
The heat it gets from the Sun and the heat it radiates back out into space
What do gases in the atmosphere absorb most of?
The heat that would normally be radiated out into space, and re-radiate it in all directions
What would happen if this didn’t happen?
At night there’d be nothing to keep any heat in, so we’d get very cold very quickly
What are the gases in the atmosphere called that help keep the heat in?
Greenhouse gases
What do greenhouse gases include?
Water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane
What are human beings increasing the amount of?
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and other gases that can act as greenhouse gases, enhancing the greenhouse effect
What is the result of all of this?
The Earth is heating up - global warming
What is global warming?
A type of climate change and caused other types of climate change
What can climate change lead to?
Things like changing crop growth patterns or flooding due to the polar ice caps melting
