Green house gases

                                                                    
Within the Earth's atmosphere the Earth is surrounded by gases. These gases help keep the earth warm, without the gases it would be too cold for humans to live on Earth.

The naturally forming gases which are part of the greenhouse  effect are carbon dioxide (82%) , methane (9%), nitrous oxide (5%) and other (4%). 

When do greenhouse gases occur and how?

The Earth's warming occurs when sunlight passes through the earth's atmosphere and reaches the earth’s surface. The earth uses this sunlight energy to warm the earth's surface some of it is then radiated back into the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases then trap most of this heat in the Earth's atmosphere warming the lower levels of the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases act like a blanket for the Earth however an increase in the gases means that the blanket keeps in too much heat and doesn't let enough escape the Earth's atmosphere, causing the temperature to rise.

Why are they a problem?

Greenhouse gases are now a problem because there are too many Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Modern day life has seen a rapid increase in the production of carbon dioxide - the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) gives off a large amount of carbon dioxide and habitat destruction and the removal of trees has further increased excess carbon dioxide because trees break carbon dioxide down and turn it into oxgyen.

These increased gases mean that the worlds temperature will be warmer have many bad consequences.

·      Temperature will increase

·      Polar caps, icebergs will gradually melt increasing sea level

·      Climate change – increased in hurricanes and cyclones and their strength.

·      Longer more severe droughts, greater winds

·      Ocean temperature will warm up.

·      Animal endangerment and extinction. Animals living in polar cap regions ie Polar Bear may find it difficult to adjust to the increased temperature conditions. If one animal in the ecosystem can’t adjust to climate change ie smaller amount of ice, all animals in the food chain will be effected.