What Is the Greenhouse Effect? How It Warms the Planet
The greenhouse effect is the process by which gases in Earth's atmosphere — mainly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane — trap heat near the surface.
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Climate Terms
Climate Change vs Global Warming: What's the Difference?
Global warming is the long-term rise in Earth's average surface temperature, driven mainly by human greenhouse gas emissions.

How Climate Works
How Do Climate Models Work?
Climate models divide the atmosphere, ocean, land and ice into a three-dimensional grid, then repeatedly solve equations describing how energy, water and…

How Climate Works
How Earth's Climate System Works: Energy and Connections
Earth's climate works through energy exchange: sunlight is absorbed or reflected, and the planet emits infrared energy to space.
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How Climate Works
How Climate Works
The physical science behind Earth's climate system, explained step by step in plain English.
Climate Terms
Climate Terms
Clear definitions and honest comparisons of the words the climate conversation runs on.