Greenhouse effect facts for kids
The greenhouse effect is like a warm blanket around our planet, Earth! It happens when certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere (the air around us) trap heat from the Sun. This makes our planet warm, much like how a greenhouse (a building made of glass for growing plants) stays warm inside.
The greenhouse effect is caused by special gases called greenhouse gases. The most important ones in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane. When there's more of these gases in the air, the air holds more heat. This is why too many greenhouse gases can lead to climate change and global warming.
The greenhouse effect is a natural and very important process for life on Earth. Without it, our planet would be super cold, with an average temperature of about -18 or -19 degrees Celsius (0 or 1 degree Fahrenheit). Earth would be covered in ice! Thanks to the natural greenhouse effect, Earth's average temperature is a much warmer 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit), which is perfect for us to live.
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Why is the Greenhouse Effect Getting Stronger?
In recent times, the greenhouse effect has become much stronger. This is mainly because humans have been burning large amounts of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. When these fuels are burned, they release a lot of carbon dioxide into the air.
Since carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, all this extra CO2 has caused our planet to warm up over the last 150 years. Before people started burning lots of fossil fuels, there was less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Now, there's much more. Many scientists believe that higher levels of these gases can cause serious problems for animals and ocean life, like ocean acidification.
Who Discovered the Greenhouse Effect?
The idea of the greenhouse effect was first suggested by a scientist named Joseph Fourier in 1824. He realized that Earth's atmosphere helps keep the planet warm.
Later, another scientist named Svante Arrhenius was the first to predict that carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels could cause the planet to warm up. He was thinking about this way back in the late 1800s!
Greenhouse Effect on Other Planets
Did you know that other planets with atmospheres also have a greenhouse effect? For example, Mars and Venus have it. The effect on Venus is super strong because its atmosphere has a huge amount of carbon dioxide. This is why Venus is actually hotter than Mercury, even though Mercury is closer to the Sun!
Related pages
Images for kids
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This 1912 article from Popular Mechanics explained the greenhouse effect to the public.
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This graph shows how much Earth's heating rate has changed, partly due to the stronger greenhouse effect.
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A modern greenhouse at RHS Wisley.
See also
In Spanish: Efecto invernadero para niños
