Keywords: Climate change greenhouse effect.png en Incoming radiative energy for the Earth illustrating the greenhouse effect Numbers represent watts per meter squared W/m<sup>2</sup> With an atmosphere 492 W/m<sup>2</sup> instead of 318 W/m<sup>2</sup> reach the Earth ™s surface because the atmosphere absorbs radiation from the Earth and radiates it back That process constitutes the greenhouse effect Source Congressional Budget Office adapted from J T Houghton and others eds Climate Change 2001 The Scientific Basis Cambridge U K Cambridge University Press 2001 2003-04 https //www cbo gov/sites/default/files/108th-congress-2003-2004/reports/04-25-climatechange pdf The Economics of Climate Change a Primer 2003 Congressional Budget Office Congress of the United States other versions PD-USGov Greenhouse effect |