Greenhouse gas - Wikipedia
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the gases in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of planets such as the Earth. What distinguishes them from other gases is that they absorb the wavelengths of radiation that a planet emits, resulting in the greenhouse effect. [1]
Overview of Greenhouse Gases | US EPA
Jan 16, 2025 · Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called greenhouse gases. This section provides information on emissions and removals of the main greenhouse gases to and from the atmosphere. Click on a greenhouse gas below to learn about its emissions in more detail.
What Are Greenhouse Gases and Why Do They Matter
Oct 12, 2022 · Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are a category of gases that absorb heat energy emitted from the planet's surface and they remain in Earth's atmosphere for a long time (from decades to centuries).
Definition, Emissions, & Greenhouse Effect - Britannica
Dec 19, 2024 · greenhouse gas, any gas that has the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat energy) emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiating it back to Earth’s surface, thus contributing to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour are the most important greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse Gases - MIT Climate Portal
May 22, 2023 · Greenhouse gases are gases—like carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane, and nitrous oxide—that keep the Earth warmer than it would be without them. The reason they warm the Earth has to do with the way energy enters and leaves our atmosphere .
Greenhouse gases, facts and information - National Geographic
May 13, 2019 · Carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas that drives global climate change, continues to rise every month. Find out the dangerous role it and other gases play. By trapping heat from the sun,...
Main Greenhouse Gases - Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
Jun 1, 2022 · Greenhouse gases are molecules in our atmosphere that absorb heat radiating from Earth’s surface, preventing it from being emitted into space. The most common greenhouse gases are (in order of atmospheric concentration) water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and a suite of halogen-bearing gases (like ...
Greenhouse Gases | US EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Jul 8, 2024 · Major greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and various synthetic chemicals. Carbon dioxide is widely reported as the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas because it currently accounts for the greatest portion of the warming associated with human activities.
Greenhouse gases - World Meteorological Organization
Oct 28, 2024 · Greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere trap infrared radiation from the Earth, keeping it warm, this is known as the greenhouse effect. GHG emissions from human activities provided the majority contribution towards global warming of 1.1 °C.
Climate Change Indicators: Greenhouse Gases | US EPA
Dec 26, 2024 · Greenhouse gases from human activities are the most significant driver of observed climate change since the mid-20th century. 1 The indicators in this chapter characterize emissions of the major greenhouse gases resulting from human activities, the concentrations of these gases in the atmosphere, and how emissions and concentrations have ...