Atmosphere and Ocean - 5 Does earth’s average atmospheric temperature always stay the same or does it change over time? What could cause it to rise or drop?
The greenhouse effect is the trapping of heat by the tropopause. Life on earth could not exist without it. Radiant energy is both absorbed by the ground and reflected back to the atmosphere. Heavy greenhouse gases in the troposphere such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane absorb the reflected energy and reflect it back to earth. Much of the heat is trapped like a blanket. The amount of energy trapped depends on the contents of the troposphere. Venus has a much thicker atmosphere causing its average temperature to be almost 900°F, while Mars has a much thinner atmosphere causing its average temperature to be around -81°F.
