What is the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect refers to the warming of Earth's surface that occurs when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap heat. Solar radiation from the sun passes through the atmosphere and reaches the Earth's surface, where it is absorbed and then reradiated as infrared radiation (heat). Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor absorb some of this infrared radiation and re-radiate it back toward the Earth, resulting in an increase in surface temperatures. This natural process is essential for maintaining a climate that can support life, as it keeps the planet warm enough to sustain ecosystems.

Understanding the greenhouse effect is crucial in the context of climate change since human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, increase the concentration of these greenhouse gases, enhancing the effect and leading to a rise in global temperatures. The other options do not accurately describe the phenomenon in question, as they relate to different environmental processes that do not involve the thermal dynamics of the Earth’s atmosphere.