Greenhouse Gases

“Greenhouse gases are gases that absorb infrared light and cause the greenhouse effect,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons, to name a few examples.”

CO2 emissions are a type of greenhouse gas.

The fundamental source of the Greenhouse Effect is the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.Factories, vehicles, deforestation, and other sources of greenhouse gases are among the most significant contributors. Due to a growth in the number of manufacturers and automobiles, the amount of these gases in the atmosphere is increasing as well. Radiation escaping from Earth is never allowed to do so because of greenhouse gases, which result in an increase in Earth’s surface temperature. Global warming results as a result of this.

What are Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Why Do They Matter?

The emission of gases into the atmosphere from a variety of sources that contribute to global warming is known as greenhouse gas emissions. The primary source of greenhouse gas emissions is energy production, with solvents making up the smallest proportion of total emissions.

  • Contribution to Global Warming as a percentage of total emissions

To begin, let’s define what greenhouse gases are and how they affect the environment. Greenhouse gases are damaging environmental gases that contribute to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Contribution

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is followed by methane (CH4), then chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS), and finally nitrous oxide (NO) (N2O)

Contribution of carbon dioxide equals 60 percent.

Contribution of methane is equal to 20%.

The contribution of chlorofluorocarbons is 14 percent.

Contribution of nitrogen dioxide is 6 percent.

Water vapour is not included since the amount is vary in nature and is not a result of human activity.

Why is it vital to conduct research on greenhouse gases?

What is the meaning of greenhouse gases? is a question that has an answer that is similar to this. As a result of anthropogenic activities such as the production of greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons, the amount of radiation of wavelengths (7 to 13 micrometres) trapped in the atmosphere and re-radiated back into the atmosphere is increasing, thereby raising the temperature of the earth.

  • Carbon dioxide absorbs radiation with wavelengths ranging from 4 to 5 micrometres to 14-19 micrometres.During pre-industrial times, the concentration was approximately 280 parts per million, while today, the concentration is approximately 400 parts per million.Carbon dioxide has a residence duration ranging from 5 years to 200 years.

  • Methane absorbs radiation with wavelengths ranging from 3 to 5 micrometres to 7 to 8.5 micrometres.During pre-industrial times, the concentration was 750 parts per billion, while it is currently around 1800 parts per billion.

  • Nitrous Oxide is a gas that is produced by the reaction of nitrogen with oxygen.

Infrared radiation with wavelengths ranging from 3 to 5 micrometres and 7.5 to 9 micrometres is absorbed by nitrous oxide.During pre-industrial times, the concentration was 7270 parts per billion, while it is currently around 330 parts per billion.

  • Opposite to the troposphere is the ozone layer.Ozone absorbs edition with a wavelength between 9 and 10.6 micrometres.Its concentration varies from one location to the next.

Halocarbons

Halocarbons absorb sunlight with a wavelength of roughly 9 micrometres in the frequency range of the atmospheric window, making them powerful greenhouse gases that also contribute to the depletion of stratospheric ozone.

Generally speaking, it can be broken down into five categories:

  • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a class of chemicals that include chlorine and fluorine (CFCs)

  • HFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) is a kind of hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFCs)

  • Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are a kind of carbon that contains fluorine (HFCs)

  • Perfluorocarbon is a chemical compound that is used to make perfluorocarbon gas (FCs)

  • Halones

  • Halocarbons have the potential to deplete the ozone layer.

  • Bromine (BR) is preferred above chlorine (Cl) and fluorine (F) (F)

  • Halones are preferable to CFCs and HCFCs.

Conclusion

The global warming potential of a greenhouse gas is a relative measure of how much heat it is capable of trapping in the atmosphere. A comparison between the global warming impact of a specified specific GHG and the contemporaneous emission of an identical mass of carbon dioxide may be made using this method (CO2).

The potential for global warming is measured in terms of magnitude.

Hydrogen sulphide (SF6) > Halocarbons > Nitrous oxide (N2O) > Methane (CH4) > Carbon dioxide  (CO2).

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