Increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels is a factor in what broader phenomenon?

Increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels is a factor in what broader phenomenon?

• A. Global warming cause
• B. Ozone depletion
• C. Acid rain
• D. Deforestation

Answer: (A)

An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is a major driver of global warming because CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the lower atmosphere and the surface. When more CO2 is present, the atmosphere becomes more effective at absorbing infrared radiation emitted by the Earth, which raises the planet’s average temperature and sets off broader climate changes. Ozone depletion is caused mainly by substances like chlorofluorocarbons that break down the ozone layer, not by carbon dioxide. Acid rain results from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides forming acidic compounds in precipitation. Deforestation can contribute to higher CO2 levels by reducing the land’s capacity to absorb CO2, but the broader phenomenon driven by increased CO2 is global warming.

An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is a major driver of global warming because CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the lower atmosphere and the surface. When more CO2 is present, the atmosphere becomes more effective at absorbing infrared radiation emitted by the Earth, which raises the planet’s average temperature and sets off broader climate changes.

Ozone depletion is caused mainly by substances like chlorofluorocarbons that break down the ozone layer, not by carbon dioxide. Acid rain results from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides forming acidic compounds in precipitation. Deforestation can contribute to higher CO2 levels by reducing the land’s capacity to absorb CO2, but the broader phenomenon driven by increased CO2 is global warming.