Question

What is meant by Greenhouse gases?

Answer 1

Greenhouse gases are components of Earth’s atmosphere that absorb and re‑emit infrared radiation: they allow incoming sunlight to reach the surface but trap some of the heat the surface radiates back toward space, producing the “greenhouse effect.” Major greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapor, and certain industrial gases (e.g., CFCs); together they keep Earth’s average temperature around 15°C (without them the planet would be about −17°C). Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture, and some industrial processes have raised concentrations of these gases, strengthening the greenhouse effect and driving global warming.