Consider the following statements : Statement-I : The atmosphere is heated more by incoming solar radiation than by terrestrial radiation. Statement-II : Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are good absorbers of long wave radiation. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?

States the atmosphere is largely transparent to incoming shortwave solar radiation, with most solar reaching the surface (some near‑IR/water vapour absorption and scattering occur).

A student could combine this with the fact that if most shortwave reaches the surface, then direct atmospheric heating from shortwave is limited compared to surface absorption.

Explains that the warmed Earth radiates longwave energy upward and that this terrestrial longwave is absorbed by greenhouse gases, heating the atmosphere from below.

Combine with estimates of surface emission (from surface temperature) to infer the magnitude of longwave energy available to heat the atmosphere.

Gives the general rule: atmosphere is mostly transparent to incoming shortwave but actively absorbs outgoing terrestrial longwave; links this to temperature lapse rate.

Use this rule plus the vertical distribution of greenhouse gases (concentrated near surface) to argue that absorbed longwave dominates near‑surface atmospheric heating.

Summarises the greenhouse effect: atmosphere transmits incoming solar but absorbs the vast majority of longwave emitted by the surface.

A student could take this qualitative ‘vast majority’ claim and compare it to known solar fluxes (insolation) to judge which flux heats the atmosphere more.

Shows an important exception: high-altitude thermosphere absorbs shortwave solar radiation strongly, producing high temperatures aloft.

Combine this with knowledge of atmospheric mass/energy distribution to note that shortwave heating can dominate in upper layers while longwave heating dominates the lower atmosphere.

States that the Earth radiates longwave energy which is absorbed by CO2 and other greenhouse gases, meaning the atmosphere is heated indirectly from terrestrial radiation.

A student could combine this with the basic fact that most solar energy reaches and heats the surface (shortwave passes through) to compare the relative roles of incoming solar vs. outgoing terrestrial heating of the atmosphere.

Explains the general rule that the atmosphere is largely transparent to shortwave solar radiation but absorbs most longwave radiation emitted by the surface (the greenhouse effect).

Use a world-map or energy-balance numbers to estimate how much energy arrives as shortwave at the surface vs. how much is re-emitted as longwave and then absorbed to judge which process supplies more atmospheric heating.

Gives an explicit example: CO2 is transparent to incoming solar but opaque to outgoing terrestrial radiation and reflects some back to the surface — highlighting the differing interaction with shortwave vs. longwave.

A student could apply this pattern to infer vertical heating profiles (surface-heated then atmosphere heated by upwelling longwave) and compare that with direct solar heating of atmospheric layers.

Describes the mechanism that radiatively active gases absorb outgoing longwave, re-emit it (some downward), and thus keep the lower troposphere warmed.

Combine this process description with basic quantitative solar flux values (solar constant, surface absorption) to assess whether the absorbed/re-emitted longwave can account for greater atmospheric heating than direct solar absorption.

Links the atmospheric lapse rate (temperature decrease with altitude) to the pattern that the atmosphere is transparent to incoming shortwave but actively absorbs outgoing longwave; greenhouse gases concentration near the surface affects heating.

Use the lapse-rate implication and knowledge of greenhouse gas vertical distribution to reason whether atmospheric heating is dominated by surface-emitted longwave absorption versus direct solar heating aloft.