What is global warming, and how is it affecting the Earth and its inhabitants? The greenhouse effect and global warming both correspond with each other. The green house effect is incoming solar radiation that passes through the Earth's atmosphere and heats the earths surface. It absorbed much of the outgoing infrared radiation re-radiated by the Earths surface. As they absorb the infrared the atmosphere becomes warmer. The gases key to this process are water vapor and carbon dioxide and methane. The natural greenhouse effect has kept the Earth's average surface temperature around 33 degrees Celsius, warmer than it would be if there were no atmosphere. The natural gases in the greenhouse effect are water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3), as well as other trace gases. Life could not exist if there was no natural greenhouse effect. The reason for the natural greenhouse effect is so that all the creatures living on Earth can live and breathe. The global warming refers to a long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth. The greenhouse effect may be what is causing the temperature on the Earth to rise, and creating many problems that will begin to occur in the coming decades. What are potential consequences to high global air temperature? The warning will be the greatest at the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, with the largest temperature rises occurring in winter. Storms would become more severe all around the world. The Northern Hemisphere will dry out and a greater occurrence of lightning strikes will set massive forest fires. The burning of the Earth by natural and man-made forest fires will release large quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Decreased rainfall in places like rain forests and will results in increased rainfall in places like the deserts. In some regions, river flow will be reduced or stopped all together. Other areas will experience sudden downpours that create mass...
