Colder - more gases making thermal energy harder to enter the atmosphere
I've heard both arguments: What is correct!?!?
greenhouse effect make the climate warmer.... thats why its called global worming.. in easily says..The Earth receives energy from the Sun in the form UV, visible, and near IR radiation, most of which passes through the atmosphere without being absorbed. Of the total amount of energy available at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), about 50% is absorbed at the Earth's surface. Because it is warm, the surface radiates far IR thermal radiation that consists of wavelengths that are predominantly much longer than the wavelengths that were absorbed (the overlap between the incident solar spectrum and the terrestrial thermal spectrum is small enough to be neglected for most purposes). Most of this thermal radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and re-radiated both upwards and downwards; that radiated downwards is absorbed by the Earth's surface. This trapping of long-wavelength thermal radiation leads to a higher equilibrium temperature
It's about like this.
Greenhouse gasses block (or at least slow) both incoming and outgoing infrared light (that is, heat). So, if the Earth was a perfect mirror or something (that is, all incoming solar radiation was reflected), there would be no greenhouse effect. The amount of CO2 in the air would have little effect on the temperature, because the amount of energy blocked coming in would be about the same as the amount blocked going back out.
But, the Earth isn't a perfect mirror. A lot of incoming solar radiation is absorbed, and re-emitted. But, the energy comes in as visible or UV light, then *leaves* as infrared light.
Greenhouse gasses block (or slow) infrared light, but ignore visible and UV light. So, sunlight comes in, and nothing blocks it (at least for purposes of this explanation, it's more complicated than that, but I'm trying to make the greenhouse effect understandable). But, once the sunlight comes in, it hits the Earth, and some of it is turned into infrared light. So, it's blocked on the way *out*.
So, if you have more greenhouse gasses, more heat is being blocked (only on the way out, not on the way in), so it ends up warmer.
Does that make sense to you?
It makes it warmer. I have no idea who you have been talking to that says the greenhouse effect makes it colder. Perhaps you just misunderstood What you are describing as making it colder are aerosols. An aerosol is something that blocks the Suns energy from reaching the surface and redirects it outward while a greenhouse gas is something that absorbs and re-radiates specific frequencies of energy within the Earth's emissions spectrum.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/glossar...
Warmer. That's why it'as called "greenhouse" effect. Like, greenhouses make the air warmer so tomatoes and stuff grow better.
If it made the climate colder it would have been called something like the "fridge effect" or "freezer effect" or some such name.
Alph is kinda correct about greenhouse gases, but the term "greenhouse effect" refers only to the warming effect. I think he was trying to impart a good explanation but confused "greenhouse effect" with "greenhouse gases" CO2 in the stratosphere does cause cooling at the planets surface but that is a very small effect compared to the warming caused by CO2 in the troposphere. There is no known planet that is cooler at the surface because of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is a warming effect on every planet affected by it.
Warmer. However, it is through a different mechanism than operates in a greenhouse.
Well even the name is wrong, Greenhouses keep warm by reducing convection, open the windows and they cool down quickly.
the greenhouse affect makes the planet hotter
warmer in the bottom part..the troposhere.
colder in the top part..the stratosphere.
Warmer - lock in suns heat and thermal energy
Colder - more gases making thermal energy harder to enter the atmosphere
I've heard both arguments: What is correct!?!?
