Which one of the following is not correct in the context of greenhouse effect?
Nitrogen and oxygen are poor absorbers of shortwave solar radiation
Clouds are poor absorbers of the Earth radiation
The most Earth radiation that escapes to space is in a narrow band from 8-13 micrometres
More than 70% of the atmospheric radiant energy is directed back to the surface
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
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UPSC Geoscientist – 2022
– The atmospheric window (C) is a range of wavelengths (roughly 8-13 µm) in the infrared spectrum where the atmosphere, particularly water vapour and CO2, is relatively transparent, allowing some Earth radiation to escape to space.
– A large proportion of atmospheric radiant energy, absorbed from the Earth’s surface, is indeed re-emitted downwards as back radiation (D), contributing significantly to surface warming via the greenhouse effect. While the exact percentage can vary, the concept that a large amount is directed back is correct.