A Brief Look at The Greenhouse Gases

Home Main Index Products Related WOW Websites

Bookmark This Page

A Brief Look at The Greenhouse Gases

We have all probably already heard about greenhouse gases and what they can do for the environment. Although most so-called greenhouse gases are naturally occurring in the earth's environment, there can definitely be too much of a good thing. The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon, but when it is taken to an extreme, it results in a phenomenon that threatens the earth's ability to stay in balance. In this case, it appears that too many greenhouse gases being emitted into the earth's atmosphere has caused the world to warm up over the last several decades.

Although there are still some outspoken skeptics out there, the global scientific community has come to a widespread consensus concerning global warming. Their consensus agrees that global warming indeed exists, that it is being cause by the activity of human beings, and that it is happening right. So what are the greenhouse gases that are mostly responsible for the global warming problem? Here is a brief overview of the greenhouse gases that are mostly responsible for the greenhouse effect.

Carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide is the king of greenhouse gases, hands down. It is by far the most prevalent and most dangerous greenhouse gas because it is so prevalent. Carbon dioxide is one of the main causes of why the insulating blanket of greenhouse gases has grown so thick in recent years. Carbon dioxide is responsible for much of the air pollution, and it can its released into the atmosphere primarily by the burning of fossil fuels.

Water vapor: water vapor is a type of greenhouse gas that absorbs infrared energy. It is a very powerful greenhouse gas. However, the concentration of water vapor in the earth's atmosphere can vary wildly. Water vapor tends to undergo strong turnover in the earth's lower atmosphere through evaporation and precipitation. However, water vapor does indeed appear to play a major role in the global warming phenomenon, especially in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It appears that water vapor is responsible for trapping energy that has been radiated back to the lower atmosphere. This in turn causes water vapor to cause the surface of the ocean to heat up, especially in the area of the tropical Pacific.

Nitrous Oxide: Nitrous oxide level is known to be on the increase. It appears that many of the most common sources of this gas include biomass that is burned during the use of commercial chemical fertilizers, as well as from the burning of fossil fuels. The problem with nitrous oxide emissions has to do with how long nitrous oxide can last in the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide has a very long residence period, which can last up to 120 years in the troposphere. Thus, nitrous oxide very well contributes to the warming of the atmosphere, and thus the earth.

Methane: Methane is essentially a product of many microbial fermentations that is emitted from highly industrialized areas, including mines, oil wells, and gas pipelines. Methane is usually not a problem because it can be gradually broken down after several reactions in the atmosphere. However, it now appears that methane is being release faster than it can be broken down. Thus, it too is being blamed for the greenhouse effect that is causing global warming.

CFCs and other similar halocarbons: Halocarbons are greenhouse gases that are entirely anthropogenic in origin, which means they were created and used by human beings. Halocarbons are dangerous greenhouse gases because they live so long in the troposphere. CFCs and halocarbons have been blamed for the so-called 'hole' in the ozone layer, and they are also partially blamed for the insurgence in greenhouse gases.