Tropospheric Ozone

 There are 2 ozone layers. One of them is the stratospheric and the other one is the tropospheric ozone layer. In this blog, we will be looking at the one which is in the lowest layer of the atmosphere: tropospheric ozone. As stated before, stratospheric ozone protects us from UV rays from the sun while tropospheric ozone has another purpose. To start off, this layer is also known as surface-level ozone and is a component of smog and important for its greenhouse effects. The principal greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons...

These gases result in the surface temperature necessary for life on Earth to exist. To clarify, when the sun's radiation hits, some energy is reflected, some is re-radiated as heat back into space. Some re-radiated heat is absorbed by the greenhouse gases in the troposphere then emitted again towards the surface of the Earth as heat. This is how the greenhouse effect keeps Earth warm. 

Global Warming 

Global warming is the overall average temperature increase on our planet. Just to be clear,

it’s not the same as climate change. Climate change is the effect of global warming: the change in the weather patterns. The temperature increase might not sound like a big deal when it's smaller than 2 degrees Celsius. Although, it’s life-changing. Both of them result in extreme weather conditions such as droughts, wildfires, storms... Higher temperatures are also altering the ecosystems by limiting anima

ls' habitats, forcing them to migrate. The anthropogenic causes have increased the temperature rapidly, mostly from the use of fossil fuels as the energy source. The increase has started from 1760, the start of the Industrial Revolution. It’s logical when we consider that the coal-fired steam engine is the starting point of fossil fuel energy. 

Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the Greenhouse Gases 

The atmosphere is made of 78% N₂ (nitrogen), 21% of oxygen, and only one percent is the fraction of the greenhouse gases. The naturally occurring greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), water vapor (H₂O), and nitrous oxide (N₂O); man-made ones are the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and tropospheric ozone. Most occur naturally, but concentrations are increased via anthropogenic means. The reference molecule for the greenhouse effect is carbon dioxide. CO₂ has the greatest impact in the end because of its concentration in the atmosphere. Water vapor's short atmospheric residence time has no significant effect on the greenhouse effect. Indeed, greenhouse gases have different impacts on the greenhouse effect. 

Global Climate Change

Global climate change, caused by excess greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, can lead to a variety of environmental problems including rising sea levels resulting from melting ice sheets and ocean water expansion, and disease vectors spreading from the tropics to the poles. These problems can lead to changes in population dynamics and movement in response. Climate change impacts on populations has a wide range from marine and terrestrial habitat destruction to loss of food source. Altogether, when the temperature increases to being beyond range tolerance, it impacts annual group behaviors: timing of migration, hibernation. 

The anthropogenic sources that contribute greenhouse emission can be given as examples: the main industry, global deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, livestock fermentation (methane), waste management, rice paddies, CFC and HFC as refrigerator use, and use of fertilizer. Not only on ecological life but also the human life is affected from it. Increased exposure to extreme heat increases the risk of chronic conditions (cardiovascular, respiratory disease). Increase in algal blooms, waterborne disease, spread of vector disease as habitat change. It may look like a dark sight from here, but there are alternatives for a better future of Earth. Using renewable energy, switching to sustainable transportation systems, protecting the green areas, using the energy wisely... to prevent or at least slow down global climate change.