Green house gases effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Green house gases effect - Essay Example In particular, the level of carbon dioxide has increased from 280 ppm to 360 ppm. Careful observations have made it clear that the increase of greenhouse gases concentration has contributed to increase in global warming (Global warming. In The Encyclopedia of Ecology and Environmental Management, Blackwell Science). Thus a close relationship between the greenhouse gases and global warming has been established. Scientists use mathematical models of the energy balance of the Earth’s surface in relation to the properties of the atmosphere, to determine the intensity of the relationship between greenhouse gases and global warming. These models are very helpful in establishing that increase in greenhouse gases concentration leads to increase in global temperature. A number of supercomputers have been employed to analyze the data and predict the possible effect of this relationship. In addition, weather scientists developed global circulation models or GCMs for this purpose. If the current level of CO2 doubles, then there will be a long – term change in surface air temperatures. It is predicted that such long-term change would result in a temperature increase of 1.5 to 4.5 degrees Celsius. Thus the average increase is predicted to be 2.5 degrees Celsius. As such, vegetation in the North ern hemisphere is experiencing the effects of global warming (Global warming. In The Encyclopedia of Ecology and Environmental Management, Blackwell Science). Greenhouse gases are molecules in the earth’s atmosphere that have more than two atoms. They have the capacity to retain heat reflected from the earth’s surface, which results in increasing the temperature of the earth. The principal greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide or CO2, methane or CH4, ozone or O3, water vapor or H2O and minute quantities of CFC’s or chlorofluorocarbons (Nave). It is vitally important to properly assess the harm caused