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Which of the following is primarily responsible for warming of the Earth? (i) Solar radiation is immediately absorbed by carbon dioxide, which then releases it as heat. (ii) The atmosphere’s tiny particles absorb incoming solar radiation, which directly heats the Earth. (iii) The Earth’s surface absorbs solar radiation, which is then re-radiated and trapped by greenhouse gases. (iv) The Earth’s environment is heated only by the solar radiation reflected by the clouds.
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Answer: (iii) The Earth’s surface absorbs solar radiation, which is then re-radiated and trapped by greenhouse gases
- The surface absorbs sunlight and re-radiates it as infrared; greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, water vapour) trap this outgoing heat.
- This trapped heat, not direct absorption by particles or reflected light, mainly warms the Earth.
