greenhouse effect 2 Greenhouse effect The Earth has a natural temperature control system. Certain atmospheric gases are critical to this system and are known as greenhouse gases. On average, about one third of the solar radiation that hits the earth is reflected back to space. The Earth's surface becomes warm and as a result emits infrared radiation. The greenhouse gases trap the infrared radiation, thus warming the atmosphere. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases create a natural greenhouse effect. However, human activities are causing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere to increase. Source: National Geographic Earths energy budget 3 Source: Nasa, Atmospheric Science Data Center Strengthening of greenhouse effect is due to increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere The six greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol:
Carbon dioxide or CO 2 Methane or CH 4
Nitrous oxide or N 2 O Perfluorocarbons or PFC compounds Hydrofluorocarbons or HFC compounds Sulphur hexafluoride or SF 6
Other greenhouse gases: Ozone or O 3
Bromine compounds or halogens, e.g. CF3Br Freons or chlorofluorocarbons or CFC:s Water vapour or H 2 O (g) Global atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased markedly as a result of human activities!
4 Source: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report Different greenhouse gases have different meaning to global warming 5 Source: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report Meaning of carbon dioxide to global warming Carbon dioxide is the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas. The primary source of the increased atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide results from fossil fuel use in power and heat production as well as transport. The change of land use provides another significant but smaller contribution. The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide exceeds by far the natural range over the last 650,000 years. 6 Source: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report Atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases correlates with temperature 7 According to researches earths mean temperature has risen in the 20th and the 21st century 8 Source: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report 9 According to measurements the temperature is rising Source: Climatic Research Unit Sea level is rising 10 Annual averages of the global mean sea level (mm). The red curve shows reconstructed sea level fields since 1870. The black curve is based on satellite altimetry. The blue curve shows coastal tide gauge measurements since 1950. Source: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report