How many major greenhouse gases are there?

The greenhouse effect is the process by which radiation from a planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to a temperature above what it would be without this atmosphere.

By their percentage contribution to the greenhouse effect on Earth the four major gases are:

water vapor, 36–70%

carbon dioxide, 9–26%

methane, 4–9%

ozone, 3–7%

It is not possible to assign a specific percentage to each gas because the absorption and emission bands of the gases overlap (hence the ranges given above). Clouds also absorb and emit infrared radiation and thus affect the radiative properties of the atmosphere

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

22 Comments

John Moore

Don't be upset but this answer is completely wrong. The Kyoto agreement recognises 6 but you didn't have that as an option. On top of those six there are the fluorinated gases. If you don't know that much, don't write questions which have the wrong options

Special Patrol Group

5 major greenhouse gases: Carbon dioxide. Methane. Nitrous oxide. Sulfur oxide. CFCS (or chlorofluorocarbons).

billptxb

six greenhouse gases The Kyoto Protocol covers six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Of these six gases, three are of primary concern because they are closely associated with human activities.

Gery Tillmanns

Sorry. Not right https://www.c2es.org/content/main-greenhouse-gases/

Rod Peel

Wrong options. The answer here does not agree with the accepted Kyoto agreement which names 6 gases, 3 of which are significant to human activities. Please make sure you get confirmation of your answers from something more authoritative than the 'Primary School Guide to Greenhouse Gases'

pabjetster

There are six major gases, but that was not an option. So I chose three because the top three are of the most major concern to humans. Again, wrong. I feel that I am not wrong. But the question surely is.

Michael W. Strode

The three major greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O ). These gases are released through human activities such as burning fossil fuels , deforestation, industrial processes, and livestock farming.

Al Breyette

I think some of these people arrive at their answers by throwing a dart at a spinning wheel

Dennis Walker

Since the effect of Nitrous Oxide as a greenhouse gas is supposed to be more than 200+ times greater than carbon dioxide why is it excluded?

Greg Sanza

What a subjective answer to a subjective question!!! BIG DISLIKE!!! Ask a more important question like WHICH greenhouse gas contributes most to the greenhouse effect. I bet the major portion of the population doesn't realize it's WATER VAPOR, becuase that never appears on TV!! Such bullsh&t.

Sandro Vadacchino

To all the greenhouse gas experts just remember every time to exhale you are CO2 producer.

Olaf Krause

It is really 5!

Paul Chalk

What happened to nitrous oxide?

wok

5 major greenhouse gases:

Denise Currie

Thank you majority vote. I went with this as I thought there were more than 5 actually, when I checked on Google after it states there are six. Carbon Dioxide. Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Hydroflurocarbons, Perflurocarbons, and Sulpher Hexaflouride.