"The greenhouse effect occurs when greenhouse gases in a planet's atmosphere cause some of the heat radiated from the planet's surface to build up at the planet's surface."
The process by which Earth's atmosphere traps and retains heat from the sun, contributing to the planet's overall temperature.
Solar radiation: The energy radiated from the sun towards the earth.
Atmospheric composition: The gases present in the atmosphere and their concentrations, which can affect greenhouse gas concentrations.
Greenhouse gases: The gases in the atmosphere which trap heat and contribute to the greenhouse effect, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor.
Earth's energy budget: The balance between the energy absorbed by the Earth and the energy radiated back to space.
Heat transfer: The movement of energy from one place to another, such as conduction, convection, and radiation.
Climate feedbacks: The complex interactions between the Earth's climate system components, such as the atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere, that can either amplify or dampen the greenhouse effect.
Global warming potential: The measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide.
Climate models: Computer simulations used to predict future climate change and study the effects of different climate scenarios.
Weather patterns and extreme events: The relationship between greenhouse gases and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves.
Natural carbon sinks: Processes that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such as photosynthesis and ocean uptake.
Anthropogenic carbon emissions: Human activities that release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
Climate policy and mitigation measures: Strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and carbon pricing.
Adaptation measures: Measures to help communities and ecosystems adapt and cope with the impacts of climate change, such as sea walls, drought-resistant crops, and conservation programs.
Climate justice: The social and ethical dimensions of climate change, including the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities and countries.
International climate agreements: The global efforts to address climate change, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
"That difference reduces the rate at which a planet can cool off in response to being warmed by its host star."
"The Earth's average surface temperature would be about −18 °C (−0.4 °F) without the greenhouse effect."
"Earth's 20th-century average of about 14 °C (57 °F), or a more recent average of about 15 °C (59 °F)."
"Burning of fossil fuels has increased amounts of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere."
"Global warming of about 1.2 °C (2.2 °F) has occurred since the industrial revolution."
"The global average surface temperature increasing at a rate of 0.18 °C (0.32 °F) per decade since 1981."
"The Sun has a surface temperature of 5,500 °C (9,900 °F), so it emits most of its energy as shortwave radiation in near-infrared and visible wavelengths (as sunlight)."
"Earth's surface has a much lower temperature, so it emits longwave radiation at mid- and far-infrared wavelengths (sometimes called thermal radiation or radiated heat)."
"A gas is a greenhouse gas if it absorbs longwave radiation."
"Earth's atmosphere absorbs only 23% of incoming shortwave radiation."
"Earth's atmosphere absorbs 90% of the longwave radiation emitted by the surface."
"Thus accumulating energy and warming the Earth's surface."
"Stars emit shortwave radiation that passes through greenhouse gases."
"Planets emit longwave radiation that is partly absorbed by greenhouse gases."
"Adding to greenhouse gases further reduces the rate a planet emits radiation to space."
"Raising its average surface temperature."
"In addition to naturally present greenhouse gases."
"As a result, global warming of about 1.2 °C (2.2 °F) has occurred since the industrial revolution."
"Greenhouse gases in a planet's atmosphere cause some of the heat radiated from the planet's surface to build up at the planet's surface."