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Water vapor is the most potent of the greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, and it’s sort of a unique player among the greenhouse gases. The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere cannot, in general, be directly modified by human behavior—it’s set by air temperatures. The warmer the surface, the greater the evaporation rate of water from the surface. As a result, increased evaporation leads to a greater concentration of water vapor in the lower atmosphere capable of absorbing infrared radiation and emitting it downward.
Johnny Stockshooter—age fotostock/Imagestate
The next most significant greenhouse gas is surface, or low-level, ozone (O3). Surface O3 is a result of air pollution; it must be distinguished from naturally occurring stratospheric O3, which has a very different role in the planetary radiation balance. The primary natural source of surface O3 is the subsidence of stratospheric O3 from the upper atmosphere toward Earth’s surface. In contrast, the primary human-driven source of surface O3 is in photochemical reactions involving carbon monoxide (CO), such as in smog.
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