The so-called greenhouse effect is the mechanism whereby the equilibrium magnitude of the Earth's surface is maintained at a higher temperature than that needed to balance the solar radiation absorbed by the Earth–atmosphere system. On average, the atmosphere is more transparent to solar radiation than to terrestrial radiation. Only a small proportion of the terrestrial radiation emitted by the Earth's surface passes directly to space; most is absorbed by the atmosphere. In accordance with Kirchoff's law, the atmosphere emits terrestrial radiation but does so at a lower temperature than the surface. To achieve an energy balance, the whole system (surface and atmosphere) must maintain a higher temperature than would have been the case without terrestrial radiation absorption in the atmosphere.
The term ‘greenhouse effect’ derives from the mistaken view that higher temperatures within greenhouses are maintained by an analogous process resulting from the glass cover's high transparency to...
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Arnfield, A.J. (1998). Greenhouse effect. In: Encyclopedia of Hydrology and Lakes. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht . https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4497-6_108
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