The Greenhouse Effect: Heat Trapped on Earth

The greenhouse effect keeps Earth warm enough for life by trapping heat in the atmosphere.
Sunlight enters easily, but greenhouse gases slow the escape of infrared heat back into space.
Key gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor.
Without this effect, Earth’s average temperature would be a freezing –18°C instead of +15°C.
It works like a blanket—thin but powerful in holding warmth around the planet.
Human activities, like burning fossil fuels, add extra greenhouse gases, intensifying the effect.
This “enhanced greenhouse effect” leads to global warming and climate change.
Venus is an extreme example, with runaway greenhouse heating its surface to 465°C.
Everyday analogy: a parked car heating up in the sun is a mini greenhouse effect.
Managing greenhouse gases is key to balancing Earth’s climate for future generations.