What video or diagram explains the greenhouse effect?

Answer 1

There's a good video on YouTube called Global Warming 101.

There's a good animation at earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/greenhouse/ which explains it simply and clearly.

There's a harder diagram at www.ci.burlington.vt.us/cap/climate-change/

See the links below.

The Burlington diagram gives the following steps:

1. Solar radiation passes through the clear atmosphere
2. Net incoming solar radiation: 240 Watt per square meter
3. Some solar radiation is reflected by the atmosphere and earth's surface: Outgoing solar radiation: 103 Watt per square meter
4. Solar energy is absorbed by the earth's surface and warms it: 168 Watt per square meter. It is converted into heat causing the emission of longwave (infrared) radiation back to the atmosphere.
5. Some of the infrared radiation is absorbed and re-emitted by the greenhouse gas molecules. The direct effect is the warming of the earth's surface and the troposphere. The surface gains more heat and infrared radiation is emitted again.
6. Some of the infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere and is lost in space: Net outgoing infrared radiation: 240 Watt per square meter.

Answer 2

Here is the video referred to in the next answer.