The greenhouse effect is a natural process where certain gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat from the Sun, keeping the planet warmer than it would be otherwise. These gases, called greenhouse gases, include carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and ozone. During the day, sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms Earth's surface. At night, the surface emits heat as infrared radiation, but greenhouse gases absorb and re-radiate some of this heat back toward the surface, effectively insulating the planet and maintaining an average temperature around 14–15°C (57–59°F)
. Without the greenhouse effect, Earth's average surface temperature would be about −18°C (0°F), too cold to support most current life forms. The effect is analogous to a greenhouse, where glass traps heat inside, although the physical mechanisms differ: greenhouses block air convection, while the atmosphere traps heat by absorbing infrared radiation
. Human activities, especially burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide and methane. This enhanced greenhouse effect traps more heat, leading to global warming and climate change. Consequences include rising sea levels, desertification, more extreme weather events, and harm to ecosystems such as coral reefs
. In summary, the greenhouse effect is essential for life on Earth by keeping it warm, but human-induced increases in greenhouse gases are intensifying this effect, causing harmful global warming
