Mark Belan writes that everything in the universe gives off heat in the form of electromagnetic waves.
Hotter objects produce radiation with shorter wavelengths and greater energy, which means that the sun’s radiation has a substantially higher energy than that produced by Earth’s surface.
The earth is constantly replenishing its heat from the sun, meaning the amount it absorbs equals the amount it radiates.
If a planet did not have an atmosphere, it would be in equilibrium with the sun, but the addition of an atmosphere allows greenhouse gases to interact with outgoing radiation and reflect it back to the surface of the Earth.
Because of their unique chemical structures, certain molecules are only capable of vibrating and rotating in specific ways, meaning they can only interact with specific wavelengths of radiation.
These are the greenhouse gases, and even though they make up a very small percentage of the atmosphere, their ability to interact with specific wavelengths of radiation means they are capable of trapping heat.
