Why is the ‘greenhouse effect’ called so?

 

                      Greenhouses function as a protective cover to plants. A greenhouse is a house made of glass. People grow plants inside them because a greenhouse stays warm inside. Sunlight shines in and warms the plants and air inside. However, the heat is trapped by the glass as it does not allow it to escape.

                      The earth’s atmosphere is similar to a greenhouse. Gases in the atmosphere such as carbondioxide do what the roof of a greenhouse does. Like the glass roof of the green house, these gases prevent heat from escaping Earth’s atmosphere.

 

   

                  During the day, when the sun shines, the atmosphere warms up. At night, it cools releasing the heat back into the air. However, the greenhouse gases trap some of the heat in the atmosphere. In this fashion, the atmosphere keeps the earth warm.

                     However, if the greenhouse effect is too strong, it can be dangerous. In that case, the earth gets warmer and warmer, as is happening now. Too much greenhouse gases in the air can make the greenhouse effect very strong. This, in turn, can cause climate changes.

Picture Credit : Google