Main Constituents of the
EarthÕs Atmosphere
Nitrogen 78%
Oxygen 21%
Argon 1%
Water Vapor 0-4%
Carbon
Dioxide 0.036% (increasing)
Nitrogen,
Oxygen, and Argon hardly interact with radiation. On the other hand water vapor and
carbon dioxide both interact with
infrared radiation---the type emitted by
the earth and its atmosphere.