Greenhouse gases are known so as:

Greenhouse gases are known so as:

they trap heat in the high altitudes.
they act like a greenhouse on the surface of the planet.
the colour of some of the gases emanating from industrial plants are green.
these gases are produced by agricultural crops.
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UPSC Geoscientist – 2020
Greenhouse gases are so named because they trap heat in the Earth’s lower atmosphere in a manner analogous to how the glass walls and roof of a greenhouse trap heat.
– Greenhouse gases (such as CO₂, methane, water vapor) are transparent to incoming solar radiation (shortwave).
– The Earth’s surface absorbs this radiation and re-emits energy as infrared radiation (longwave heat).
– Greenhouse gases absorb this outgoing infrared radiation and re-emit it in all directions, including back towards the Earth’s surface, thus trapping heat and warming the planet.
– This process is known as the greenhouse effect, a natural phenomenon essential for maintaining a habitable temperature on Earth.
– An increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases due to human activities enhances this effect, leading to global warming and climate change.
– The analogy with a greenhouse is not perfect (a real greenhouse also traps heat by preventing convective heat loss), but it effectively describes the trapping of infrared radiation.
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