The greenhouse effect is the radiative process by which certain atmospheric gases (notably water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone) absorb and re-emit longwave (infrared) radiation emitted by Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere, thereby reducing the net outgoing longwave flux to space and warming the lower troposphere and surface. It arises from molecular vibrational and rotational absorption bands that are transparent to most incoming shortwave solar radiation but partially opaque to outgoing terrestrial radiation. In climate science, the greenhouse effect is quantified via radiative forcing, feedbacks (e.g., water vapor and cloud feedbacks), and its role in establishing Earth’s energy balance and global mean temperature.
Around 56 million years ago, Earth suddenly got much hotter. Over about 5,000 years, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere drastically increased and global temperatures shot up by some 6°C.
Ecology
Dec 1, 2025
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Despite rapid progress in clean energy and electric vehicles, the world is still warming faster than ever. The good news is that we already have powerful ways to reduce the warming rate—if governments look beyond carbon dioxide ...
Environment
Nov 19, 2025
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New research has revealed for the first time the full extent of how "Artificial Light At Night" (ALAN) is increasing carbon released by plants and animals across continents—without any increase in the carbon they absorb. ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 12, 2025
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The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), an ocean current system that transports heat from the tropics to the North Atlantic, plays a vital role in regulating the global climate. Most climate models project ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 11, 2025
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Techniques to reflect an additional small portion of sunlight back into space could help cool the planet if deployed globally, but they cannot address the full range of climate impacts or replace emission cuts, according ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 5, 2025
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Ancient trees may have played a key role in regulating Earth's climate during the last ice age—by 'breathing' less efficiently.
Earth Sciences
Nov 5, 2025
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National commitments to slash heat-trapping pollution would limit global warming up to 2.5C this century—nowhere near enough to avoid devastating climate impacts despite a sweep of new pledges, the UN warned Tuesday.
Environment
Nov 4, 2025
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Contrails in the blue sky remind us of daily air traffic—and its impact on the climate. However, the effect of contrails on the climate is still only partially understood. It is assumed that they have a predominantly warming ...
Environment
Nov 4, 2025
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Global warming poses a significant threat to human society. Rapid and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are necessary measures to mitigate global warming. However, substantially reduced emissions alone may ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 30, 2025
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Once considered a fringe idea, the prospect of offsetting global warming by releasing massive quantities of sunlight-reflecting particles into Earth's atmosphere is now a matter of serious scientific consideration. Hundreds ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 21, 2025
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