00:01
This question is specifically asking us about greenhouse gases.
00:04
And so first, let's understand what they are and how they function.
00:07
So a greenhouse gas is a form of a gas molecule that has the ability to trap infrared heat in its bonds.
00:15
So solar energy incomes from the sun at a very high energy wavelength.
00:20
Whenever it comes into contact with the atmosphere, because it's at such a high energy, it can easily penetrate this layer of greenhouse gas that exists in the atmosphere.
00:30
Shown here by this arrow.
00:32
This solar energy then strikes earth, and most of the energy is absorbed by the earth, and then eventually the earth will irradiate that heat back in the form of a lower wavelength energy infrared heat.
00:45
However, greenhouse gases can absorb infrared heat, and because this energy is at a lower energy wavelength than it was before, it gets trapped in this layer of greenhouse gas, which then essentially heats up the atmosphere over time.
01:00
And so the greenhouse gas effect is essentially when we have this layer of gas in the atmosphere that allows high energy radiation in, but then doesn't allow the infrared energy back out, and so the earth doesn't cool properly...