The greenhouse effect is a process where heat is trapped close to the Earth’s surface by greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases (often referred to as GHGs) are gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat from the sun, like a blanket around the Earth. Without greenhouse gases, life on the planet would look very different.

Lots of greenhouse gases occur naturally, but if levels of greenhouse gases get too high, this can change the climate of the Earth and lead to warming of the Earth’s atmosphere which is known as global warming.

The main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect include:

• Ozone
• Methane
• Nitrous Oxide
• Carbon Dioxide
• Water Vapour
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Did you know these facts about GHGs?

• Methane is 23 times more effective and nitrous oxide is 296 times more effective than carbon dioxide. However, as there is so much more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it contributes more to the greenhouse effect than methane and nitrous oxide. 
• Once carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere, 40% is still there after 100 years, 20% after 1000 years and 10% can even be found 10,000 years later.

Sources:

Arup. n.d. 'What is the Greenhouse Effect?' Arup.

British Geological Society. n.d. 'The Greenhouse Effect'. BGS.

Denchak, M. 2019. 'Greenhouse Effect 101'. NRDC.