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??