Cause Of Present Warming: Greenhouse Gases

What is the warming potential of Greenhouse Gases?

• All greenhouse gases (GHG) do not have the same warming potential neither will they remain in the atmosphere for the same amount of time. This means that with the same amount of gas released into the atmosphere, some will have a much greater warming impact than other GHG

• Presently the main anthropogenic gas responsible for global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2) due to the very large amount released. However, other gases, such as methane (CH4), have a much greater warming potential but are currently released to a much lower extent (or in much lower concentrations)

• Scientists predict that the current warming of the atmosphere could trigger the release of large amounts of much stronger greenhouse gases, (such as methane CH4) from land fields and ocean beds.


What is the warming potential of Greenhouse Gases?
• Scientists predict that the current warming of the atmosphere could trigger the release of large amounts of much stronger greenhouse gases, (such as methane CH4) from land fields and ocean beds.

• For convenience, scientists use carbon dioxide as a reference and the warming potential of other greenhouse gases is expressed in terms of CO2 equivalent (As such, CO2 is said to have a warming potential of 1)

• For instance methane (CH4) is 21 times more efficient at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2) while Halogenated Chloro Fluorocarbon (HCF-23) is 11,700 More efficient!

• Ones released into the atmosphere, carbon dioxide will remain there for 50 to 200 years while methane will only remain about 12 years and CF 50,000 years!

Source of Information : Climate Change: A Silent Threat by Sylvain Richer de Forges

Cause Of Present Warming: Greenhouse Gases