The Greenhouse Effect

About the lecture

In this module, we think about the Earth’s temperature and how it is influenced by the greenhouse effect. We focus on: (i) solar radiation as the planet’s energy source; (ii) the Earth’s energy balance – the equilibrium between incoming solar radiation and energy shed from the planet through infrared emissions – and its role in creating a stable climate; (iii) the impact of greenhouse gases – they disrupt this balance by impeding infrared light leaving the Earth, leading to a rise in temperature; (iv) how the effect of greenhouse gases is estimated using climate sensitivity models; (v) how warming on Earth is exacerbated by amplifying processes known as climate feedbacks.

About the lecturer

Professor David Archer is Professor of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago. He researches a wide range of topics related to the global carbon cycle and climate change, including oceanic carbon uptake, the historical evolution of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, and the impacts of fossil fuel emissions. His publications include The Global Carbon Cycle (2010), The Long Thaw: How Humans are Changing the Next 100,000 Years of Earth’s Climate (2009), and Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast (2007).