Radiated Energy: The Temperances And Effects Of The Greenhouse Effect

The earth-atmosphere system maintains equilibrium through the absorption of solar radiation and the re-radiation of that energy back to space as infrared or longwave radiation. This process establishes the temperature balance of the sea/surface on Earth. Radiated energy does not, however, have unhindered access to and from space. The atmosphere surrounding the earth also carries the ability to absorb radiation, and since the atmosphere has a lower temperature than the surface, it absorbs more energy than it emits back into space. Thus, energy absorbed by the surface and re-radiated back into space is captured by the atmosphere and remains there. This is known as the Greenhouse Effect, and there are other feedbacks that occur that exacerbate
Water vapor is the strongest of all greenhouse gases, meaning it has a high absorption capability to trap longwave radiation. This ability causes an increase in energy and comparatively an increase in temperature the more H2O that present in the atmosphere. The quantity of water vapor present in the atmosphere is not something that is directly linked to human activity. An increase in the vapor is a direct result in an initial increase in temperature, which has been prompted through the increase in CO2. According to the IPCC, Carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 40% since the pre-industrial times. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) have all increased as a direct result of human activity. Specifically, CO2 emissions from cement production and fossil fuel combustion have released 375 GtC which is equivalent to 3.75x10^17 grams of carbon dioxide from the years of 1750 to 2011. Deforestation and other land uses are estimated to have released 180 GtC in that same time period. This increase in CO2 causes the temperature to increase, allowing more H2O to evaporate into the atmosphere which causes an even greater impact. Greenhouse gases are a lynchpin to climate change, and it has been shown that human activity is a direct correlation with increases of these
In their Summary for Policymakers, they present two key models that show a projected increase in temperature for the Earth’s surface up to 2100. SPM 7a represents a change in the global annual mean surface temperature relative to 1986-2005. The colored shading around the main line indicates the uncertainty. RCPs are Representative Concentration Pathways which is a new set of scenarios for climate models. In this set, concentrations of CO2 are higher in 2100 relative to present day as a projection of the cumulative increase of overall emissions. It is necessary to show historical context in order to provide accurate comparison to their predictions of CO2 levels in the future. SPM 8a shows the annual mean surface temperature change from 1986-2005 to 2081-2100. Both of these models provide a historical comparison in order to emphasize the cumulative negative impact of climate change on the surface