Visualization: Infrared Spectra of Greenhouse Gases

A visualization to learn about the infrared (IR) spectra of different greenhouse gases and the effect of greenhouse gases on the Earth’s climate.

Students will use the visualization to view the IR spectra of different greenhouse gases, observe the amount of IR radiation absorbed for the current concentration of greenhouse gases, and discuss the global warming potential of different greenhouse gases.

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

1. Compare the IR spectra of water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and methane (CH₄).
2. Describe the relationship between the Earth’s emission spectrum of IR and the IR spectra of greenhouse gases.

About the Tool

Tool Name	Infrared Spectral Windows
Discipline	Physics
Topic(s) in Discipline	Electromagnetic Radiation; Infrared Radiation; Emission Spectrum
Climate Topic	The Greenhouse Effect, Climate and the Atmosphere
Type of Tool	Interactive Visualization
Grade Level	High School; Undergraduate
Location	Global
Language	English
Translation
Developed by	Amanda Thompson, Katrina Genuis, Joseph Zondervan, Rachel Hislop-Hook, McKenzie Oliver, Dr. Peter Mahaffy and Dr. Brian Martin at The King’s Centre for Visualization in Science
Hosted at	The King’s Centre for Visualization in Science
Link	Link
Access	Online
Computer Skills	Basic