What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

The enhanced greenhouse effect is the stronger impact caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour and are often produced by burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees. These greenhouse gases are released and remain in the earth's atmosphere. When the sun releases radiation towards the earth, some of it is absorbed by the earth's surface, causing temperatures to increase. Some of it however, is reflected back towards the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases produced by humans trap this radiation and prevent it escaping, reflecting it back onto the earth's surface. This causes global temperatures to increase more than expected and leads to global warming.

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Answered by Ignatius-Roy H. Geography tutor

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