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TeachMeFinance.com - explain greenhouse effect greenhouse effect The term 'greenhouse effect' as it applies to the area of carbon dioxide can be defined as ' A popular term used to describe the roles of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases in keeping the Earth's surface warmer than it would be otherwise. These ' radiatively active' gases are relatively transparent to incoming shortwave radiation, but are relatively opaque to outgoing longwave radiation. The latter radiation, which would otherwise escape to space, is trapped by these gases within the lower levels of the atmosphere. The subsequent re-radiation of some of the energy back to the surface maintains surface temperatures higher than they would be if the gases were absent. There is concern that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbons, may enhance the greenhouse effect and cause global warming'. The term 'greenhouse effect' as it applies to the area of the environment can be defined as 'Trapping and build-up of heat in the atmosphere (troposphere) near the Earth’s surface. Some of the heat flowing back toward space from the Earth's surface is absorbed by water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and several other gases in the atmosphere and then reradiated back toward the Earth’s surface. If the atmospheric concentrations of these greenhouse gases rise, the average temperature of the lower atmosphere will gradually increase. See greenhouse gas, anthropogenic, climate, global warming'. The term 'greenhouse effect' as it applies to the area of the weather can be defined as ' Atmospheric heating caused by solar radiation being readily transmitted inward through the earth's atmosphere but longwave radiation less readily transmitted outward, due to absorption by certain gases in the atmosphere'. The term 'greenhouse effect' as it applies to the area of Earth observation can be defined as ' The warming of an atmosphere by its absorbing and reemitting infrared radiation while allowing shortwave radiation to pass on through'. Previous 5 Terms: greatest common factor grebe Green box policies Green Line Green pricing Next 5 Terms: Greenhouse effect greenhouse gas Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Greenhouse Gases gregal About the author Mark McCracken Author: Mark McCracken is a corporate trainer and author living in Higashi Osaka, Japan. He is the author of thousands of online articles as well as the Business English textbook, "25 Business Skills in English". Copyright © 2005-2011 by Mark McCracken, All Rights Reserved. TeachMeFinance.com is an informational website, and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical, legal or financial advice. Information presented at TeachMeFinance.com is provided on an "AS-IS" basis. Please read the disclaimer for details.