What is the Greenhouse Effect and How Does it Work?

In a traditional greenhouse, sunlight shines through the glass causing heat to get trapped, warming up the structure. Earth’s atmosphere works similarly and this so-called greenhouse effect is necessary to maintain life. However, in the last 200 years, human activity has accelerated this natural process by pumping massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, resulting in a warming planet.  Here is a quick look at the science behind the Greenhouse Effect. 

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It All Starts With the Sun

Light is a form of energy that travels in waves, making up the electromagnetic spectrum. The light that reaches the Earth from the Sun is called solar radiation. Radiation is just a fancy way of saying transferring heat from one thing to another. Solar radiation reaches Earth mainly in the form of visible light (see figure below). Some of this light is reflected back into space by Earth’s atmosphere and surface, but most of it is absorbed by Earth’s surface. The surface heats up as a result of the energy input and then re-emits some of the energy back into the atmosphere.