does solar radiation cause global warming
- Never in the Earth s history have temperatures risen so quickly and so dramatically. For this reason, the scientific consensus is that while the heat of the sun is responsible for global warming in a general sense, current global warming and solar radiation trends are not related. Greenhouse effect Part of this radiation is directed towards the surface, warming it. On Earth, solar radiation at the frequencies of visible light largely passes through the atmosphere to warm the planetary surface. The surface itself emits energy at the lower frequencies of infrared thermal radiation. Infrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases also radiate energy, some of which is directed to the surface and lower atmosphere.