According to the approaches of Sadi Carnot on the operation of the steam engine, it is known that the transformation of thermal energy into mechanical energy can not be total. A heat engine requires a hot source of thermal energy supply and a cold source is received. In considering the Earth as a heat engine, the source that supplies the heat energy is the soil surface heated by solar radiation and the cold source is located in the upper layers of the atmosphere, cooled continuously by the loss of energy as infrared radiation emitted by the hot ground to outer space.

The Earth receives only a small amount of energy emitted by the Sun Sunlight is not used directly but as heat, therefore, it is necessary that the atmosphere transforms the thermal energy of solar radiation into mechanical energy wind. The source of heat to the atmosphere is heated the soil surface by sunlight which is then emitted as infrared radiation into space.

The greenhouse effect is one of the main factors that cause global warming of the Earth, due to the accumulation of so-called greenhouse gases CO2, H2O, O3, CH4 and CFCs in the atmosphere.

The French mathematician Jean B. J. Fourier argued that the Earth is a blue planet because of its atmosphere and that would be a black planet if he lacked it and that would freeze water if you have the mixture of gases that make up its atmosphere. In 1827 compared the influence of Earth’s atmosphere with greenhouse gases and said forming the Earth’s atmosphere serving as the glass walls of a greenhouse to keep warm.

The Irish physicist John Tyndall in 1859, found that neither oxygen or nitrogen produced greenhouse gases, which indicates that 99% of the components of the atmosphere do not produce greenhouse gases and that water, carbon dioxide and ozone it is produced. Tyndall realized that carbon dioxide absorbs a large amount of energy and its concentration varies naturally due to different phenomena, including organic fixation is carried out by the plants (see photosynthesis). Also that the decrease of the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would cause the cooling of the planet and that it could be the explanation of ice ages on Earth.

The molecules of oxygen, nitrogen, water, carbon dioxide and ozone are nearly transparent to sunlight but the molecules of CO2, H2O, O3, CH4 and CFC’s are partially opaque to infrared radiation, ie, absorbed infrared radiation emitted by the soil that has been heated by sunlight.

When infrared radiation collides with molecules of CO2, H2O, O3, CH4 and CFC’s is absorbed by them. These molecules vibrate, move and emit energy in the form of invisible, infrared rays, causing the phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect, which keeps warm the atmosphere. Radiation bounce between the mixture of molecules that make up the atmosphere until they finally escape into outer space.

The term applied to greenhouse Earth relates to possible global warming due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases caused by human activity, especially since the industrial revolution by burning fossil fuels and production of new chemicals.

The Swedish chemist Svante A. Arrhenius, in 1896, argued that the concentration of carbon dioxide is increasing steadily due to the burning of coal, oil and wood, which causes the Earth’s average temperature is increasing. He noted that in case of doubling the concentration of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, Earth’s average temperature would rise between 5 and 6 º C.

Although the greenhouse effect was known, during the first half of the twentieth century Earth researchers did not consider it a problem of global stability, as previously considered that the oceans could absorb the carbon dioxide forming calcium carbonate (CaCO3) would fall into the sea without causing any damage.

Infrared radiation is absorbed more by water vapor, carbon dioxide is followed and then the ozone, but of these three chemicals is carbon dioxide which produces more greenhouse gases because the man is increasing its concentration as a result of its activities.

It is considered that without the greenhouse effect produced by the natural carbon dioxide the temperature of the Earth would be about 20 degrees Celsius (- 20 ° C).

Scientists agree that carbon dioxide is involved in the greenhouse effect and its concentration is increasing (see chart), but disagree on two crucial aspects of the greenhouse effect: a) if it has already begun on global warming and 2) how global warming will increase (see global warming).

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Earth’s atmospheric greenhouse effect associated with radiation processes going on inside. radiation is a form of energy, and is transmitted only in a vacuum.

Other forms of energy transmission in the natural environment are conduction and convection. In conduction heat spreads through the solid (propagation of heat from the surface soil to a lower level). In a fluid (gas and liquid) heat transfer by convection process through which a relatively warm part of the fluid, moving, and then mixed and integrated into a relatively cool environment.

Characteristics of the radiation, which spread in the form of electromagnetic waves associated with a body temperature that issues it. In the present atmosphere of two types of radiation. On one side is the solar radiation coming from the surface of the sun around 6000 º C. This is mainly manifested in the form of visible light rays.

In addition, like the Sun, Earth’s surface (continents, oceans, polar caps) and the atmosphere also emit radiation, but with energy levels much lower than the del Sol is called infrared radiation is not visible, but spread in a similar way to sunlight. The atmosphere is transparent to solar radiation is far more opaque to infrared radiation originating from Earth’s surface.

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These data are the result of a report prepared minuscioso the International Global Carbon Project (GPC). Corinne Le Quere, professor at the University of East Anglia in the UK is the Coordinator in charge of the investigation. As stated by the teacher: “If this continues, we will increase the temperatures of 5 or 6 degrees by 2100.

In the report prepared Global Carbon Project (GPC) has analyzed the ability of the Earth to meet this increase in emissions. Until recently, much of the CO2 caused by human activity ended in the oceans or be absorbed by vegetation. Undoubtedly, this was positive because the carbon dioxide did not reach the atmosphere and prevented the enhanced greenhouse effect.

But, as researcher Le Quere said in a conference in Barcelona, currently carbon sinks are less effective and no longer resist. Moreover, what is most worrying is that emissions have been growing others quickly during the last decade. To provide more accurate figures explained that since 2000 there has been an increase of 29%. During the past decade, emissions of carbon dioxide are rising by 3.4% per annum compared to the decade from 1990 to 2000.

In large part this is because emissions from developing countries that have tripled the number. The industrialized countries emit slightly less than the emerging economies but the problem is global and global warming progresses.

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A phenomenon of concern to the world: global warming and its direct impact, climate change, which occupies much of the efforts of the international scientific community to study and control it, because, they say, threatens the future of humanity.

Why so worried? Leading scientists agree that the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere is causing changes in climate. They also agree that emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) have been very intense since the Industrial Revolution, after which time the action of man over nature became intense.

Originally a natural phenomenon

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that enables life on Earth. It is caused by a series of gases in the atmosphere, causing some heat from the sun than our planet reflects trapping keeping global average temperature to +15 degrees Celsius, favorable to life, instead of -18 degrees Celsius, that would be harmful.

Thus, for many millions of years, the natural greenhouse effect kept the Earth’s climate to a relatively stable average temperature and allowed to develop life. Greenhouse gases retained the sun’s heat near the surface of the earth, helping the evaporation of surface water to form clouds, which return water to the Earth in a life cycle that had been kept in balance.

During about 160 thousand years the Earth had two periods when average global temperatures were about 5 degrees Celsius lower current. The change was slow, it took several thousand years out of the ice age. Now, however, concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are rising rapidly, reflecting the world burn increasing amounts of fossil fuels and destroying forests and grasslands, which might otherwise absorb carbon dioxide and encouraging equilibrium temperature.

In response, the international scientific community has warned that if global development, population growth and energy consumption based on fossil fuels continues to increase at current rates, by 2050 carbon dioxide concentrations will double over to which he had before the Industrial Revolution. This could have disastrous consequences for the living planet.

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