Impacts of high-altitude emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) compared to sea level GHG emissions

Asked by: Alexandra Blanco

Is the greenhouse effect weaker at higher altitudes?

Thus, the absorbing power of a greenhouse gas decreases with altitude, because there are fewer molecules to do the absorbing. At some altitude, the absorption for any particular wavelength will become so weak that the radiation will simply pass through that layer (and all those above) and out to space.

What is the relationship between greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and global temperatures and sea level?

It’s responsible for about half of Earth’s greenhouse effect — the process that occurs when gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat. Greenhouse gases keep our planet livable. Without them, Earth’s surface temperature would be about 59 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) colder.

How does the greenhouse effect relate to sea level rise?

As greenhouse gases trap more energy from the sun, the oceans are absorbing more heat, resulting in an increase in sea surface temperatures and rising sea level.

Is there less CO2 at high altitude?

The volume percentage of C02 in the air remains almost constant with increasing elevation (apart from local modifications near the ground). Consequently its partial pressure or concentration (mass per volume) decreases as the barometric pres- sure falls with increasing altitude.

What effect does a higher altitude have on the climate?

Globally, the team of researchers found that as altitude rises, the rate of temperature change often accelerates. In the past 20 years, temperatures above 4,000 meters (13,120 feet) have warmed 75 percent faster than at altitudes below 2,000 meters (6,560 feet).

How does the higher altitude affect the climate of an area?

Altitude or height above sea level
height above sea level
Abbreviation of meters above sea level, elevation.

– Locations at a higher altitude have colder temperatures. Temperature usually decreases by 1°C for every 100 metres in altitude.

Which gas contributes greenhouse effect the most on the Earth?

Of all the man-made emissions of carbon dioxide—the most abundant greenhouse gas released by human activities, and one of the longest-lasting—from , approximately half were generated in the last 40 years alone, in large part due to fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes.

What will happen if greenhouse gases absorb too much heat and radiate it back to Earth?

The added greenhouse gases absorb the heat. They then radiate this heat. Some of the heat will head away from the Earth, some of it will be absorbed by another greenhouse gas molecule, and some of it will wind up back at the planet’s surface again. With more greenhouse gases, heat will stick around, warming the planet.

What happens to the temperature on Earth if more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere?

NASA has observed increases in the amount of carbon dioxide and some other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Too much of these greenhouse gases can cause Earth’s atmosphere to trap more and more heat. This causes Earth to warm up.

Does the ocean absorb more CO2 than trees?

But a warmer, more acidic ocean does us no favors when it comes to maintaining its role as one of the biggest carbon sinks on our planet. The ocean stores 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere, and 20 times more than land plants and soil combined, Buesseler said.

What contributes most to sea-level rise?

The two major causes of global sea level rise are thermal expansion caused by warming of the ocean (since water expands as it warms) and increased melting of land-based ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets.

What are the 3 causes of sea-level rise?

Most of the observed sea-level rise (about 3 mm per year) is coming from the meltwater
meltwater
Meltwater is water released by the melting of snow or ice, including glacial ice, tabular icebergs and ice shelves over oceans. Meltwater is often found in the ablation zone of glaciers, where the rate of snow cover is reducing.

of land-based ice sheets and mountain glaciers, which adds to the ocean’s volume (about 2 mm per year combined), and from thermal expansion, or the ocean water’s expansion as it warms (roughly 1 mm per year).

What changes occur with the increase in altitude from sea level?

As altitude increases, the amount of gas molecules in the air decreases—the air becomes less dense than air nearer to sea level. This is what meteorologists and mountaineers mean by “thin air.” Thin air exerts less pressure than air at a lower altitude.

Why is it colder in high elevation areas than at sea level?

As you go to higher altitudes, there are less air molecules pushing down on you (lower pressure). When the pressure of a gas decreases, the temperature also decreases (the reverse is also true – when the gas pressure increases, the temperature increases). Therefore, the air temperature is lower at higher altitudes.

What happened to the temperature if altitude keeps getting higher and why?

The basic answer is that the farther away you get from the earth, the thinner the atmosphere gets. The total heat content of a system is directly related to the amount of matter present, so it is cooler at higher elevations.

At what height does the greenhouse effect occur?

At the top of the troposphere, 12 miles high, ozone acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat.

What altitude are greenhouse gases?

roughly 5-6 kilometers

At an altitude of roughly 5-6 kilometers, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the overlying atmosphere is so small that heat can radiate freely to space.

Does the temperature increase or decrease with altitude in the stratosphere?

increases

In the stratosphere, temperature generally increases as altitude increases due to the increasing absorption of ultraviolet radiation by the ozone layer.

Why does temperature decrease with higher altitude?

The basic answer is that the farther away you get from the earth, the thinner the atmosphere gets. The total heat content of a system is directly related to the amount of matter present, so it is cooler at higher elevations.

What changes occur with the increase in altitude from sea level?

As altitude increases, the amount of gas molecules in the air decreases—the air becomes less dense than air nearer to sea level. This is what meteorologists and mountaineers mean by “thin air.” Thin air exerts less pressure than air at a lower altitude.

Why is it colder in high elevation areas than at sea level?

As you go to higher altitudes, there are less air molecules pushing down on you (lower pressure). When the pressure of a gas decreases, the temperature also decreases (the reverse is also true – when the gas pressure increases, the temperature increases). Therefore, the air temperature is lower at higher altitudes.