Interaction of Long Wave Radiation and the Atmosphere

  • Some of the long-wave radiation emitted by the earth escapes to space

  • Some of the long-wave radiation is absorbed by gasses in the atmosphere

  • These gasses then re-emit some of the long wave radiation back to the ground

  • The additional long-wave radiation reaching the ground further warms the earth

  • This is known as the "greenhouse effect"

  • The gasses that absorb the LW emitted by the earth are called "greenhouse gasses"

  • What are they??