Nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone are extremely important to the health of the Earth's biosphere. Nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone are extremely important to the health of the Earth's biosphere. The atmosphere contains many gases, most in small amounts, including some pollutants and greenhouse gases. The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is nitrogen, with oxygen second.
Behind the struggle to address global warming and climate change lies the increase in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. 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.  1 The earth's atmosphere contains trace gases, some of which absorb heat. 2  These gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide) are referred to as greenhouse gases.. 3  Albedo has an important influence on the earth's temperature. Carbon dioxide, water vapor (), methane (), nitorus oxide (), and a few other gases are greenhouse gases. They all are molecules composed of more than two component atoms, bound loosely enough together to be able to vibrate with the absorption of heat. Composition of the Atmosphere extended definition. The atmosphere contains many gases, most in small amounts, including some pollutants and greenhouse gases. The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is nitrogen, with oxygen second. Argon, an inert gas, is the third most abundant gas in the atmosphere.  The general concepts found in this section are: 1  The earth's atmosphere is a very thin layer wrapped around a very large planet. 2  Two gases make up the bulk of the earth's atmosphere: nitrogen (), which comprises 78% of the atmosphere, and oxygen (), which accounts for 21%. 1 Two gases make up the bulk of the earth's atmosphere: nitrogen (), which comprises 78% of the atmosphere, and oxygen (), which accounts for 21%. 2  Various trace gases make up the remainder. 3  Based on temperature, the atmosphere is divided into four layers: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere Table 7a-1 lists the eleven most abundant gases found in the Earth's lower atmosphere by volume. Of the gases listed, nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone are extremely important to the health of the Earth's biosphere. The table indicates that nitrogen and oxygen are the main components of the atmosphere by volume.  1 The earth's atmosphere is a very thin layer wrapped around a very large planet. 2  Two gases make up the bulk of the earth's atmosphere: nitrogen (), which comprises 78% of the atmosphere, and oxygen (), which accounts for 21%. 3  Various trace gases make up the remainder. 1 Two gases make up the bulk of the earth's atmosphere: nitrogen (), which comprises 78% of the atmosphere, and oxygen (), which accounts for 21%. 2  Various trace gases make up the remainder. 3  Based on temperature, the atmosphere is divided into four layers: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere By volume, dry air contains 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.039% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases. Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1% at sea level, and 0.4% over the entire atmosphere. Composition of Earth's atmosphere by volume. The lower pie represents the trace gases that together compose about 0.038% of the atmosphere (0.043% with CO 2 at 2014 concentration). The numbers are from a variety of years (mainly 1987, with CO 2 and methane from 2009) and do not represent any single source. Atmosphere A planet's climate is decided by its mass, its distance from the sun and the composition of its atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases. Carbon dioxide accounts for just 0.03 - 0.04%. 
http://www.livescience.com/37821-greenhouse-gases.html http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_1.htm https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.AtmComposition https://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_1_1.htm http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7a.html https://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_1_1.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Earth http://www.theozonehole.com/atmosphere.htm
what are the gases in the atmosphere