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Types and sources of greenhouse gasses. (hint: 99.72% of the effect is not due to human activity) Cover the oceans in plastic wrap, and plug all the volcanoes [somehow] to really make a difference.
However, this figure has been disputed. The textbook Chemistry of Atmospheres puts the contribution of water vapor and clouds at less than 88 percent of the greenhouse effect, while carbon dioxide is at least 12 percent.<ref>[http://www.radix.net/~bobg/climate/halpern.trap.html Chemistry of Atmospheres]</ref> This insulating effect has been compared to a [[blanket]] or to the glass walls and roof of a [[greenhouse]], but the process is not the same.
However, this figure has been disputed. The textbook Chemistry of Atmospheres puts the contribution of water vapor and clouds at less than 88 percent of the greenhouse effect, while carbon dioxide is at least 12 percent.<ref>[http://www.radix.net/~bobg/climate/halpern.trap.html Chemistry of Atmospheres]</ref> This insulating effect has been compared to a [[blanket]] or to the glass walls and roof of a [[greenhouse]], but the process is not the same.
==Gas types==
The greenhouse effect is caused primarally by the following<br />
*Water vapor: 95.00% of effect<ref>Multiple references:<br/>*S.M. Freidenreich and V. Ramaswamy, “Solar Radiation Absorption by Carbon Dioxide, Overlap with Water, and a Parameterization for General Circulation Models,” Journal of Geophysical Research 98 (1993):7255-7264
*http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/Reference_Docs/PMichaels_Jun98.pdf
*http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/alternate/page/environment/appd_d.html
*http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=010405M
*http://www.ecoenquirer.com/EPA-water-vapor.htm
*http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/ci/31/special/may01_viewpoint.html
*http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/Reference_Docs/sci_and_techn-glacial_expansion_03-04.pdf</ref>
*[[Carbon Dioxide]]: 3.61% of effect
*[[Methane]]: 0.36% of effect
*Nitrous Oxide: 0.07% of effect
The following is a breakdown of the sources for these greenhouse gasses.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Gas !! % of effect !! % natural !! % man-made
|-
| Water Vapor || 95.000% || 94.999% || 0.001%
|-
| Carbon Dioxide || 3.618% || 3.502% || 0.117%
|-
| Methane || 0.360% || 0.294% || 0.066%
|-
| Nitrous Oxide || 0.950% || 0.903% || 0.047%
|-
| Other gases ( CFCs, etc.) || 0.072% || 0.025% || 0.047%
|-
| Total || 100.00% || 99.72 || 0.28%
|}
<ref>http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/greenhouse_data.html</ref>
==Greenhouse effect==
==Greenhouse effect==
The greenhouse effect refers to the retention of heat by a planet's [[atmosphere]]. Although "greenhouse" is a handy analogy to a botanical [[greenhouse]], which insulates an indoor space by regulating convection, the atmosphere retains heat in a different way. It happens because gas molecules absorb some of the heat radiating from the ground (see [[infrared radiation]]), so that it all doesn't escape into [[outer space]]. It was discovered in 1824 by [[Joseph Fourier]]. The effect has been compared to that of the glass roof and walls of a [[greenhouse]], although the process is different. A gardener's greenhouse simply traps warm air inside the building.
The greenhouse effect refers to the retention of heat by a planet's [[atmosphere]]. Although "greenhouse" is a handy analogy to a botanical [[greenhouse]], which insulates an indoor space by regulating convection, the atmosphere retains heat in a different way. It happens because gas molecules absorb some of the heat radiating from the ground (see [[infrared radiation]]), so that it all doesn't escape into [[outer space]]. It was discovered in 1824 by [[Joseph Fourier]]. The effect has been compared to that of the glass roof and walls of a [[greenhouse]], although the process is different. A gardener's greenhouse simply traps warm air inside the building.