Greenhouse Gases and Atmosphere

A greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere, is the gas that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads to global warming. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. 

A greenhouse gas is any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads to global warming. The most significant greenhouse gases are water vapor ($H _2O$), carbon dioxide ($CO _2$), methane ($CH _4$) and nitrous oxide ($N _2O$), according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The major greenhouse gases responsible for greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide, ozone, methane and water vapour. These gases acts like a thick warm blanket outside that surrounds this planet and regulates climate control. Water vapour causes about 36-70% of the greenhouse effect on earth, carbon dioxide CO$ _2$, which causes 9-26%; methane, which causes 4-9%, and ozone, which causes 3-7%.

Ammonia is not a green house gas. Methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are all greenhouse gases. They contribute to the greenhouse effect. Ammonia has no effect on the green house effect. So, option D ammonia s the correct answer.

Greenhouse effect can be defined as the trapping of the radiations of the sun by the atmospheric gases and the subsequent reflection on the earth's surface causing global warming. There are many greenhouse gases like water vapour, methane, CFCs etc. but carbon dioxide is the major concern because it has contributed to most of the global warming 1750 to 2011 as per IPCC data and it tends to accumulate in the atmosphere. It is released in greater amounts from the vehicular emissions, deforestation, industrial emissions etc. so it constitutes around 81% of the greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapours trap heat radiating from earth towards space making the earth warmer. The increased amount of these gases block Heat from escaping and they present in the earth's atmosphere for more than their expected period. Scientist attributes the cause of global warming to such semi-permanently existing gases 'forcing' climate change.

Biogas is primarily composed of methane (typically 50-75%) and carbon dioxide, produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic matter.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and algae absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce glucose. Respiration and combustion release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Rice paddies are flooded, creating anaerobic conditions where bacteria produce large amounts of methane. While other activities produce methane, rice cultivation is a major agricultural source.

Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, making up approximately 78 percent of the air we breathe.

Earth's atmosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen (about 78%) and oxygen (about 21%), with trace amounts of other gases.

An important source of methane emissions is from enteric fermentation in farm animals. This creates 27% of human methane emissions. Animals like cows, sheep and goats are examples of ruminant animals. During their normal digestion process they create large amounts of methane. Enteric fermentation occurs because of microorganisms in the stomach of these animals. This creates methane as a by-product that is either exhaled by the animal or released via flatus.

Because humans raise these animals for food, their emissions are human-related. This is why the meat that we eat everyday has a huge impact on total methane emissions. Livestock farming creates 90 million tonnes of methane per year.

Freon is a common trade name for a group of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that were historically used as refrigerants in cooling systems.