broeikaswerking

Broeikaswerking, or the greenhouse effect, is the process by which certain gases and clouds in Earth's atmosphere trap heat, keeping the planet warmer than it would be otherwise. It is a natural phenomenon essential for maintaining temperatures that sustain life as we know it.

Solar radiation reaches Earth mainly as visible light. The surface absorbs energy and warms, then emits infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases—water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and various synthetic fluorinated gases—absorb infrared radiation and re-emit it in all directions, including back toward the surface. This trapping of heat occurs mostly in the lower atmosphere and near the surface, creating a warming effect. Water vapor is the most abundant natural greenhouse gas and acts as a feedback: its concentration depends on temperature and amplifies warming. Carbon dioxide, though less abundant, is long-lived and a key driver of long-term changes in the climate.

The natural greenhouse effect raises Earth’s average surface temperature by about 30°C compared with what the planet would be without an atmosphere, enabling liquid water to exist. Human activities increase the concentration of greenhouse gases, strengthening the effect and causing additional warming—often referred to as the enhanced greenhouse effect. Emissions from burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes have raised CO2 and other gases to levels not seen in hundreds of thousands of years, contributing to contemporary climate change. Clouds and aerosols introduce further complexities by modifying the magnitude and distribution of the warming.

The greenhouse effect is a central concept in climate science. It is studied through radiative transfer calculations, satellite observations, and ground-based measurements, and it underpins scientific assessments and policy discussions on climate change.