The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the air is slowly raising the temperature of the atmosphere, because it absorbs:

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Q: 87 (IAS/2012)
The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the air is slowly raising the temperature of the atmosphere, because it absorbs:

question_subject: 

Ecology

question_exam: 

IAS

stats: 

0,194,142,66,52,24,194

keywords: 

{'atmosphere': [1, 1, 4, 7], 'carbon dioxide': [2, 0, 5, 6], 'solar radiation': [1, 0, 0, 0], 'solar radiations': [0, 0, 0, 2], 'temperature': [0, 1, 1, 7], 'water vapour': [0, 0, 1, 2], 'air': [1, 0, 0, 0], 'heat': [10, 3, 13, 46], 'ultraviolet part': [0, 0, 0, 1], 'infrared part': [0, 0, 0, 1]}

The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the air absorbs the infrared part of the solar radiation. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap the infrared radiation emitted by the earth`s surface, preventing it from escaping into space, and thus, gradually increase the temperature of the atmosphere. This process is known as the greenhouse effect, and it is responsible for the Earth`s average surface temperature of around 15 degrees Celsius.