The Enhanced

Greenhouse Effect
  Definition
 Causes
Main contents  Consequences
 References
Definition:
The natural greenhouse effect has been enhanced by
human activities, which contribute to the emissions of
greenhouse gases
 Greenhouse Effect
- With the greenhouse effect the earths surface temperature, 15°C, is
approximately 30°C warmer
- The process by which infrared and near infrared (visible) radiation warms
the earth atmosphere
+Near infrared (visible) warms the surface
+Infrared warms the atmosphere
+Oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and argon (Ar), which make the majority of the
atmosphere, do not react significantly with the radiation.
+Methane, ozone, carbon dioxide, water vapour most significant greenhouse gases
more gases = heated atmosphere = more evaporation and clouds = more absorption of
radiation = heated atmosphere
- The earth reflects 30% of the radiation while 70% are absorbed
- Other greenhouse gases: nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, hydro
fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons
Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases
- Causes 4-9% of greenhouse effect
- tundra of Siberia is beginning to melt.
+ice is a form of methane clathrate, ice with large amounts of
methane in the crystal structure
+if melted methane gas will be released into the atmosphere.
-Methane clathrate deposits are also with in ocean beds
+depths of +300m where the water temperature will be
approximately 2°C.
-If the ocean temperature rises, methane clathrate deposits will release
methane gas in to the ocean drastically influencing environment change.
+Predicted that 5°C rise would be enough to create extreme changes
in marine life.
-1ton of methane = 25tons of carbon dioxide in atmosphere
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- Naturally present in the atmosphere in large amounts
+Earths atmosphere: 5.14 x 1018 kg
+CO2 in atmosphere: 3.0 x 1015 kg
+Expected to rise at an unknown rate due to continuing burning of
fossil fuels
+Causes 9-26% of greenhouse effect
- Oceans absorb approximately one third of all CO2 emissions; they act
as a huge carbon sink. But as the water temperature rises, CO2 will be
released into the atmosphere to react with radiation from the sun.
- Warms rapidly in sunlight
 Ozone
- Causes 3-7% of greenhouse effect
- Created when UV rays react with oxygen in the stratosphere
- Essential as it filters harmful UV rays
- Haloalkanes, such as methane, reduce the amount of ozone in the stratosphere
+ Allows for UV rays to reach the troposphere (where most of the oxygen is) causing the
creation of ozone
+ A major constituent of smog
 Water Vapour
- Causes 36-70% of greenhouse effect
- Increase in atmospheric temperature will increase the evaporation of water
- Results in increasing infrared abortion and increased heat
- The result of having more water vapour in the atmosphere (troposphere mainly)
would theoretically mean that there would be more clouds and thus more radiation
reflected back to earth
+Theoretical because it is unsure if there actually would be more clouds or if
the amount of clouds would be reduced
 Natural Greenhouse Emissions
Volcanoes
Oceans
Coal combustions
Petroleum combustions
Natural gas combustions
 Human Impact on the Greenhouse Effect
- From the end of the last Ice Age until the end of the 18th century,
the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere remained fairly
constant
- Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have released extra
quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, enhancing
the natural greenhouse effect
+The enhanced greenhouse effect is the direct result of human
activities
+Upsetting the precisely balanced natural systems
 Human Activities
-Removing and burning vegetation
+Forest build up store of carbon in trees, soil, and fallen leaves
+When land is cleared, much is rapidly converted back to carbon
dioxide
-Burning fossil fuels
+Coal, oil, and natural gas contribute to carbon emissions
+Energy for industrial processes, transportation, agriculture, heating,
lighting, etc …
-Waste breakdown
+Decaying organic material dumped in landfills create carbon
dioxide and methane
-Agriculture
+Animals produce methane through digestion
+Fertilizers release nitrous oxide
+Rice production in paddy fields generates methane
Gases Contributing to the Greenhouse Effect
 Consequences for Global Warming
-Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases
will prevent more heat from escaping, increasing
the world’s average temperatures
+Causing global warming and changes in climate
+Effecting cloud cover, precipitation, wind
patterns, duration of seasons, changes in ocean
currents, etc …
Changes in weather patterns will lead to:
Droughts
Heavy precipitation (floods)
Declining snow cover and glaciers (contributing to
rises in sea levels)
Increase in frequency and intensity of tropical
cyclones
References
1. IPCC (1996) Working Group 1 contribution, Science of Climate Change, Second Assessment
Report.↩

2. Bureau of Meteorology (Australia) The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change. ↩

3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Atmospheric Programs (2002) Greenhouse

gases and global warming potential values: Excerpt from the inventory of U.S. greenhouse emissions
and sinks: 1990-2000 ↩

4. Pittock, B. 2005 Global Perspective on Climate Change. Presentation to the Climate Change
Impacts and Adaptation in Gippsland stakeholder workshop, September 2005. ↩

5. IPCC (2000) Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES ↩

6. Timbal, B., Arblaster, J.M., and Power, S., 2005. Attribution of the Late-Twentieth-Century
Rainfall Decline in Southwest Australia. Journal of Climate, 19:10, 2046-2062. ↩

7. Bureau of Meteorology (Australia) The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change. Average trend in
annual mean temperature in Australia . ↩
This Presentation is Prepared by

“Group ”