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Chapter 9: Problem 2

On which of these planets is the atmospheric greenhouse effect strongest? a. Venus b. Earth c. Mars d. Mercury

Short Answer

Expert verified
Venus.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect occurs when a planet's atmosphere traps heat from the sun, causing the planet's surface temperature to rise. This is primarily due to the presence of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor (H2O).
02

Compare the Atmospheres of the Planets

Evaluate the atmospheric composition and thickness of each planet listed: Venus, Earth, Mars, and Mercury. Pay particular attention to the concentration of greenhouse gases.
03

Analyze Venus

Venus has a very dense atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide (about 96.5%) and thick clouds of sulfuric acid, which trap a significant amount of heat. This results in extreme surface temperatures.
04

Analyze Earth

Earth has a balanced amount of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor, which allows for moderate greenhouse warming that supports life.
05

Analyze Mars

Mars has a thin atmosphere consisting mostly of carbon dioxide (about 95.3%), but it is much less dense than Venus' atmosphere. This results in a weaker greenhouse effect.
06

Analyze Mercury

Mercury has a very thin atmosphere, almost negligible compared to the other planets. It lacks significant amounts of greenhouse gases, thus has no substantial greenhouse effect.
07

Draw a Conclusion

Based on the analysis, the planet with the densest atmosphere and highest concentration of greenhouse gases is Venus. Therefore, Venus experiences the strongest atmospheric greenhouse effect.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Atmospheric Composition
Atmospheric composition refers to the different gases that make up a planet's atmosphere. Each planet has a unique mixture of gases, which affects its climate and temperature.
  • Venus: Primarily carbon dioxide (96.5%) with thick clouds of sulfuric acid.
  • Earth: A mix of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and trace amounts of other gases like carbon dioxide and methane.
  • Mars: Mostly carbon dioxide (95.3%), but the atmosphere is extremely thin.
  • Mercury: A very thin atmosphere, mainly made of oxygen, sodium, and hydrogen, with practically no greenhouse gases.
The composition of a planet's atmosphere plays a crucial role in determining its temperature and habitability.
Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases are gases that can trap heat within a planet's atmosphere. The most common greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor (H2O). These gases absorb infrared radiation and re-radiate it, warming the planet's surface.
For example:
  • Venus's atmosphere is thick with CO2, causing extreme heating.
  • Earth has moderate levels of greenhouse gases, supporting life.
  • Mars has a thin atmosphere with some CO2, resulting in a mild greenhouse effect.
  • Mercury lacks significant greenhouse gases, so it has negligible warming.
The presence and concentration of these gases determine how intense the greenhouse effect will be on each planet.
Planetary Atmospheres
Planetary atmospheres are layers of gases surrounding a planet. They vary in thickness, composition, and density, which influence a planet's surface temperature and weather patterns.
  • Venus: Thick and dense, primarily carbon dioxide.
  • Earth: Balanced, with a variety of gases that support life.
  • Mars: Thin and composed mostly of carbon dioxide.
  • Mercury: Almost negligible, very thin atmosphere.
A planet's atmosphere acts as a blanket, retaining heat and regulating the temperature. The thicker and more greenhouse gas-rich the atmosphere, the stronger the greenhouse effect.
Venus
Venus is the planet with the most extreme greenhouse effect in our solar system.
  • The atmosphere is 96.5% carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid.
  • The thick atmosphere traps heat effectively, leading to surface temperatures around 467°C (872°F).
  • This intense heat makes Venus the hottest planet, despite not being closest to the Sun.
Venus's atmosphere demonstrates the powerful impact of greenhouse gases on a planet's climate.
Earth
Earth has a life-supporting greenhouse effect due to its balanced atmosphere.
  • The presence of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor keeps temperatures moderate.
  • Greenhouse gases on Earth include CO2, CH4, and H2O, which trap heat, making our climate stable and suitable for life.
  • Human activities are increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, potentially altering Earth's climate.
Earth's atmosphere allows for a moderate greenhouse effect, maintaining conditions suitable for diverse ecosystems.
Mars
Mars has a thin atmosphere mostly composed of carbon dioxide.
  • The Martian atmosphere is 95.3% carbon dioxide, but it is much thinner than Earth’s or Venus’s atmospheres.
  • This results in a weaker greenhouse effect, leading to cooler surface temperatures, averaging around -60°C (-80°F).
  • Mars experiences significant temperature variations between day and night due to the thin atmosphere.
The thinness of Mars's atmosphere limits its ability to retain heat, resulting in a much milder greenhouse effect.
Mercury
Mercury has an extremely thin atmosphere, known as an exosphere.
  • It is primarily composed of oxygen, sodium, and hydrogen.
  • The lack of significant greenhouse gases means Mercury has no substantial greenhouse effect.
  • The planet experiences drastic temperature swings, from 430°C (800°F) during the day to -180°C (-290°F) at night.
Mercury's negligible atmosphere means it cannot retain heat, making it highly susceptible to extreme temperature changes.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The _______ of greenhouse gas molecules affects the temperature of an atmosphere. a. percentage b. fraction c. number d. mass

The ozone layer protects life on Earth from a. high-energy particles from the solar wind. b. micrometeorites. c. ultraviolet radiation. d. charged particles trapped in Earth's magnetic field.

Climate change: a. Go to the timeline on the "Discovery of Global Warming" Web page of the American Institute of Physics (http://aip .org/history/climate/timeline.htm). When did scientists first suspect that \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) produced by humans might affect Earth's temperature? When were other anthropogenic greenhouse gases identified? When did scientific opinion about global warming start to converge? Click on "Venus \& Mars": How did observations of these planets add to an understanding of global climate change? Click on "Aerosols": How do these contribute to "global dimming"? b. The Fifth Assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was released in October \(2014 .\) Go to the IPCC website section on the 2014 Synthesis report (http://ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/) and watch the 16-minute video. What are some of the causes of the in- crease in warming? What are some of the effects of warming seen in the polar regions? How are measurements from the past and present used to predict the climate in the future? c. Advanced: Go to the website for "Educational Global Climate Modeling," or EdGCM (http://edgcm.columbia.edu). This is a version of the NASA GISS modeling software that will enable students to run a functional three-dimensional global climate model on their laptop computers. Download the trial version and install it on your computer. What can you study with this program? What factors that contribute to global warming or to global cooling on Earth can you adjust in the model? Your instructor may give you an assignment using this program and the Earth Exploration Toolbook (http://serc.carleton.edu/eet/envisioningclimatechange/ index.html).

Mars: a. Go to http://www.planetfour.org, a Zooniverse Citizen Science Project in which people examine images of the surface of Mars. Log in or create a Zooniverse account if you don't have one. Read through "About": Where did these data come from? What are the goals of this project? Why is it useful to have many people look at the data? Read through "Classify": "Show Tutorial" and "See Examples" and "FAQs." Now classify some images. b. Go to the website for the \(M A V E N\) mission, which entered the orbit of Mars in 2014 . (http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/ maven). What are the scientific goals of the mission? Is this mission a lander, an orbiter, or a flyby? What instruments are on this mission? How will this mission contribute to the understanding of climate change on Mars? Go to the NASA Web page for \(M A V E N\) (http://www.nasa.gov/ mission_pages/maven/main/index.html). Are there any results?

Why are we unable to get a clear view of the surface of Venus, as we have so successfully done with the surface of Mars?
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