What is the greenhouse effect and how does it affect temperatures?
Published: Jul 22 2011 01:41:40 PM EDT
The greenhouse effect is a process in which sunlight is trapped by gases in the atmosphere, most notably carbon dioxide.
Those gases in turn re-radiate that heat back through the Earth's atmosphere.
The reason it's called the greenhouse effect is because this process is exactly what happens in a greenhouse.
If you've ever been in a greenhouse you know how warm it can get.
