// FIELD GUIDE 16 — LEVEL L3 (GCSE / NATIONAL 5)
Earth's atmosphere & climate
A thin shell of gas, mostly nitrogen, is the only thing standing between Earth's surface and the vacuum of space. A tiny slice of it controls the planet's temperature.
// FIG. 01 — TODAY'S ATMOSPHERE, BY VOLUME
// FIG. 02 — THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
☀️
SUNLIGHT IN (SHORT WAVELENGTH — PASSES THROUGH EASILY)
{{ layerLabel }}
EARTH'S SURFACE
{{ arrows }}
{{ arrowCaption }}
{{ blurb }}
// L3 — WHY WE NEED SOME GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Without any greenhouse gases at all, Earth's average temperature would sit around −18°C — a frozen planet. The natural greenhouse effect is what keeps it a habitable ~15°C. The problem isn't the effect itself — it's adding extra greenhouse gases (mainly CO₂ from burning fossil fuels) faster than the planet can remove them, trapping more heat than the climate is adapted to.
// REFERENCES & FURTHER READING
Cross-check against your own exam board's specification (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, SQA).