Global Warming: Global warming refers to the current rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans

and its projected continuation, as a result of human activities. Observed temperature changes: Evidence for warming of the climate system includes observed increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level. !"# !$# !%# &he Earth's average surface temperature, e'pressed as a linear trend, rose by(.%)*(.+, -. over the period +/($0!((". &he rate of warming over the last half of that period was almost doubles that for the period as a whole 1(.+2*(.(2 -. per decade, versus (.(%*(.(! -. per decade3. &he urban heat island effect is very small, estimated to account for less than (.((! -. of warming per decade since +/((. !,# &emperatures in the lower troposphere have increased between (.+2 and (.!! -. 1(.!! and (.) -43 per decade since +/%/, according to satellite temperature measurements. .limate pro'ies show the temperature to have been relatively stable over the one or two thousand years before +,"(, with regionally varying fluctuations such as the 5edieval Warm 6eriod and the 7ittle 8ce 9ge. 8nitial causes of Global Warming: &he 2 main causes are Greenhouse gases 6articulates and soot :olar activity

Green house gases: &he greenhouse effect is the process by which absorption and emission of infrared radiation by gases in the atmosphere warm a planet's lower atmosphere and surface. &he major greenhouse gases are water vapor, which causes about 2$0%(; of the greenhouse effect< carbon dio'ide 1.O!3, which causes /0!$;< methane 1.=)3, which causes )0/;< and o>one 1O23, which causes 20%;. )%# ),# )/# .louds also affect the radiation balance through cloud forcing similar to greenhouse gases. =uman activity since the 8ndustrial ?evolution has increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to increased radioactive forcing from .O !, methane, troposphere o>one, .4.s and nitrous o'ide. &he concentrations of .O! and methane have increased by 2$; and +),; respectively since +%"(. "(# &hese levels are much higher than at any time during the last ,((,((( years, the period for which reliable data has been e'tracted from ice cores. "+# "!# "2# ")# 7ess direct geological evidence indicates that .O! values higher than this were last seen about !( million years ago. ""#4ossil fuel burning has produced about three@Auarters of the increase in .O! from human activity over the past !( years. &he rest of this increase is caused mostly by changes in land@use, particularly deforestation