The diagram below illustrates the total amount of energy that reaches Earth from the Sun and how this energy is distributed.

Question

Which part of this system is most greatly impacted when human activities release excessive amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?
A.
solar radiation reflected by Earth's clouds
B.
solar energy radiated back into space by the Earth
C.
incoming solar radiation from the Sun
D.
solar radiation absorbed by Earth's surface

Answer 1

The part of the system that is most greatly impacted when human activities release excessive amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is:

B. solar energy radiated back into space by the Earth.

This is because greenhouse gases trap more heat in the atmosphere, preventing some of the solar energy that the Earth would normally radiate back into space from escaping. This leads to an overall warming effect known as the greenhouse effect.