What is the exothermic natural process that keeps the heat inside the Earth's atmosphere?

Answer 1

That's a nice question in my view.

In few words, the answer is-- "the exothermic process of air molecules moving towards the earth keeps the heat inside the Earth's atmosphere."

Ok, now, here's my answer in detail-

Your question can also be read as- "Work must be done to hold heat and keep it from escaping earth's atmosphere. By whom is this work done and how?"

Now, as you already might be knowing that heat is held by gases on earth's surface and the gases (atmosphere) in turn, are held by the gravitational pull of earth; I think it might be enough just to give you a background on "HOW" greenhouse gases hold heat and what energy is spent in doing so.

Let's take the most common greenhouse gas -- carbon dioxide (CO2) to demonstrate the process. Here we go!! First, UV rays and visible light enter earth's atmosphere. UV rays are absorbed by ozone and visible light reaches and heats up the earth.

Now, an exothermic process takes place. Earth cools down and releases heat in the the form of infra-red waves or IR waves. Now, these IR waves have a heating effect. They strike the molecules of CO2 and other gases in air and heat them up.

The excited molecules of CO2, methane and others are kept from escaping the atmosphere by the gravitational attractive force.

Now, this gravitational attractive force attracts the greenhouse gases which are loaded with heat. Attraction results in an energetically stable state of the earth-air system. Stability can be attained only by reaching low-energy state.

So, the movement of greenhouse gases TOWARDS the earth DUE TO earth's gravitational force of attraction is the EXOTHERMIC natural process required to keep the heat inside earth's atmosphere.

You might ask that what's the use of moving towards earth and losing energy if the sole purpose of the process is to KEEP energy. The answer is-- the movement isn't a mass movement. The molecules that constantly feel the attraction but don't move towards earth are actually the ones waiting for the molecules under them to heat up and move upwards so that they can come down and release their energy ONLY to gain the energy AGAIN from earth's surface.

Also, it's not that no heat is ever lost from the atmosphere. The atmosphere is ever-dynamic and all the heat which enters the atmosphere, constantly leaves it too. It's just that it leaves a little late. That's all.

I hope my answer made sense.

Answer 2

Are you speaking of the greenhouse effect or an exothermic reaction? Oxidation would be the reaction (commonest), but the question is poorly stated.