SCIENCE: CONSERVING MINERAL RESOURCES
WHAT IS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT?
1. carbon dioxide in the water
2. carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
3. soot from coal plants in the atmosphere
4. soot from coal plants in the water
2. carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
The major cause of the greenhouse effect is option 2: carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The major cause of the greenhouse effect is carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat from the sun and prevents it from escaping back into space. This leads to an increase in the Earth's temperature, resulting in global warming and climate change.
To arrive at this answer, we need to understand what the greenhouse effect is and what its main contributing factors are. The greenhouse effect is a natural process that occurs when certain gases in the atmosphere (known as greenhouse gases) trap and absorb infrared radiation, causing the Earth's temperature to rise. The primary greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and fluorinated gases.
Out of the given options, only carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is directly related to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through various human activities, such as burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), deforestation, and industrial processes. This excessive release of carbon dioxide amplifies the greenhouse effect and contributes to global warming.
Therefore, the correct answer is option 2: carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.