• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

RealClimate

Climate science from climate scientists...

  • Start here
  • Model-Observation Comparisons
  • Miscellaneous Climate Graphics
  • Surface temperature graphics
You are here: Home / Extras / Glossary / Greenhouse Gases (“GHGs”)

Greenhouse Gases (“GHGs”)

28 Nov 2004 by group

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) refer to any atmospheric gases that absorb long wave radiation (emitted from the surface), thereby causing the planet’s surface to be warmer than it would be otherwise. These gases include water vapour, CO2, CH4, N2O, many CFCs (chloro-fluro-carbons). Ozone (O3) as well as being a shortwave absorber (in the ultra-violet range) also has a small longwave greenhouse effect. Other components of the atmosphere also absorb longwave radition (specifically aerosols and clouds) and hence have a greenhouse effect while not being gases themselves.
Oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2) while being the dominant gases in the atmosphere do not have significant absorption lines in the relevant longwave range and so are not greenhouse gases.

Filed Under: Glossary

Primary Sidebar

Search

Search for:

Email Notification

get new posts sent to you automatically (free)
Loading

Recent Posts

  • Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • Unforced Variations: May 2026
  • Unforced Variations: Apr 2026
  • A reflection on reflection
  • Spencer’s Shenanigans: Part II
  • The Puzzling Pleistocene

Our Books

Book covers
This list of books since 2005 (in reverse chronological order) that we have been involved in, accompanied by the publisher’s official description, and some comments of independent reviewers of the work.
All Books >>

Recent Comments

  • Tomáš Kalisz on A reflection on reflection
  • Matt Burgess on Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • Karsten V. Johansen on Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • Robert Cutler on A reflection on reflection
  • Roger Pielke Jr. on Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • Paul Pukite (@whut) on A reflection on reflection
  • Robert Cutler on A reflection on reflection
  • Marcus C Sarofim on Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • Zeke Hausfather on Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • Jeff Suchon on Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • jgnfld on A reflection on reflection
  • Barton Paul Levenson on A reflection on reflection
  • Barton Paul Levenson on A reflection on reflection
  • Barton Paul Levenson on Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • Thomas Fuller on Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • Dean Rovang on Scenarios, schmenarios…
  • Martin Smith on A reflection on reflection
  • Silvia Leahu-Aluas on Unforced Variations: May 2026
  • Paul Pukite (@whut) on A reflection on reflection
  • Robert Cutler on A reflection on reflection
  • Tomáš Kalisz on A reflection on reflection
  • Sunita Krishnamurthy on Unforced Variations: May 2026
  • Barry E Finch on Unforced Variations: May 2026
  • Paul Pukite (@whut) on A reflection on reflection
  • Paul Pukite (@whut) on A reflection on reflection
  • Pete best on Unforced Variations: May 2026
  • Martin Smith on Unforced Variations: May 2026
  • prl on Unforced Variations: May 2026
  • MA Rodger on A reflection on reflection
  • Syd Bridges on Unforced Variations: May 2026

Footer

ABOUT

  • About
  • Translations
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Page
  • Login

DATA AND GRAPHICS

  • Data Sources
  • Model-Observation Comparisons
  • Surface temperature graphics
  • Miscellaneous Climate Graphics

INDEX

  • Acronym index
  • Index
  • Archives
  • Contributors

Realclimate Stats

1,406 posts

15 pages

251,533 comments

Copyright © 2026 · RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists.