A scientist measured an increase in nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. The increase would result in:

A scientist measured an increase in nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. The increase would result in:

a. an increase in the greenhouse effect

b. a decrease in the greenhouse effect

c. no change in the greenhouse effect

d. or a stabilization of the greenhouse effect

Answer: a. an increase in the greenhouse effect

They also indicated that the emission of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere increases the burning effect of the greenhouse. Nitrous oxide is another greenhouse gas with a warming potential that is 300 times that of CO2 when the effects are measured over 100 years. This causes the trapping of heat within the atmosphere by reflecting the infrared radiation released by the surface of the earth back into the planet instead of into space. This process also plays a role in global warming, as the planet gets gradually warmed up. Nitrous oxide is manufactured from agricultural sources, through the application of nitrogenous fertilizer, industrial processes and fossil fuel combustion. For instance, farmers use fertilizer on crops, and when they use a lot of fertilizer, microbes present in the soil turn the extra nitrogen into N2O, which then becomes a gas and leaves the soil. Consequent to the proposed rise in the amount of N2O in the atmosphere, this particular gas would enhance the heat-trapping effect thus a stronger greenhouse effect would prevail. This, in turn, may lead to the above-stated impacts of climate change including an increase in global temperatures, changes in the patterns of precipitation, and frequent occurrences of extreme weather conditions. A long atmospheric lifetime represents a strong contribution to the greenhouse effect since the impacts last for several years, such as, in the case of N2O, around 114 years.