"The greenhouse effect is caused when atmospheric gasses behave as a blanket and trap radiation which is then re-radiated to Earth."
FALSE. This statement is wrong, do not believe it.
The greenhouse effect and global warming are two entirely
different processes.
Definition
Greenhouse Effect: the name applied to the process
which causes the surface of the Earth to become warmer than it would have
been without an atmosphere.
Global Warming: the increase (we think) in the magnitude of the greenhouse effect whereby the surface becomes warmer than it would be with just the greenhouse effect operating.
So why is there a greenhouse effect?
The surface of the earth is warmer than it would be in
the absence of an atmosphere because it receives energy from two sources:
the sun and the atmosphere.
The earth receives nearly twice as much energy from the atmosphere as it does from the sun.
The temperature of the earth would average ~ 30°C (~ 54°F) colder than it is today.
If we look at the energy budget of the northern hemisphere, we can see that there is an imbalance - more energy is received in equatorial regions and less in polar regions. This is primarily due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis, but is also a function of regional differences in albedo, land distribution and
Weather and Climate result from: