Main
Constituents of the EarthÕs Atmosphere
Nitrogen
78%
78%Oxygen21%
21%Argon1%
1%Water
Vapor0-4%
0-4%Carbon
Dioxide0.036% (increasing)
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.