Greenhouse gas

Greenhouse gases (GHG) are gaseous components of the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect. The major natural greenhouse gases are water vapor, which causes about 36-70% of the greenhouse effect on Earth (not including clouds); carbon dioxide, which causes between 9-26%; and ozone, which causes between 3-7% (note that it is not really possible to assert that such-and-such a gas causes a certain percentage of the GHE, because the influences of the various gases are not additive. The higher ends of the ranges quoted are for the gas alone; the lower end, for the gas counting overlaps). http://www.atmo.arizona.edu/students/courselinks/spring04/atmo451b/pdf/RadiationBudget.pdf http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=142.

Related Topics:
Gas - Atmosphere - Greenhouse effect - Water vapor - Not including clouds - Carbon dioxide - Ozone

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Minor greenhouse gases include, but are not limited to: methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, and chlorofluorocarbons - see complete IPCC List of Greenhouse Gases.

Related Topics:
Methane - Nitrous oxide - Sulfur hexafluoride - Chlorofluorocarbons - Complete IPCC List of Greenhouse Gases

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The major atmospheric constituents (N2 and O2) are not greenhouse gases, because homonuclear diatomic molecules (eg N2, O2, H2 ...) do not absorb in the infrared as there is no net change in the dipole moment of these molecules.

Related Topics:
N₂ - O₂ - Molecule - Infrared - Dipole moment

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~