Although nitrous oxide (N2O) only has an atmospheric concentration of around 0.312 ppm, it is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential nearly 300 times as large as that of carbon dioxide. Pre-industrial concentrations of nitrous oxide were around 0.275 ppm. The increase in atmospheric concentration is largely due to human activity.
| Gas | Atmospheric Lifetime | Global Warming Potential Time Horizon | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Years) | 20 Years | 100 Years | 500 Years | |
| Carbon Dioxide (CO2) | variable | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Nitrous Oxide (N2O) | 114 | 289 | 298 | 153 |
An increase of 0.037 ppm may not seem like much, but nitrous oxide is a strong greenhouse gas, so a small change in concentration can translate into a much larger change in Earth's radiation balance.
Question: Open the IR Windows learning tool and click on the IR spectrum for N2O. Turn on the IR spectra for H2O and CO2 along with the Black Body Curve of Earth's emission of IR radiation from the Display Options menu.. Using this tool and the atmospheric lifetime of nitrous oxide provided in the table above, explain why N2O has such a high global warming potential.