What role does the atmosphere play in climate change?

The atmosphere plays a crucial role in climate change primarily by trapping greenhouse gases that warm the planet. This is a fundamental aspect of the greenhouse effect, which is a natural process where certain gases in the atmosphere—such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor—allow sunlight to enter but prevent some of the heat that the Earth emits from escaping back into space. This warming leads to various changes in global and local climates, contributing to phenomena like increased temperatures, altered weather patterns, and rising sea levels.

Understanding this process is vital, as it highlights the importance of greenhouse gases in regulating the Earth's temperature. While the atmosphere does have other roles, such as filtering ultraviolet rays and influencing precipitation patterns, the trapping of greenhouse gases is predominantly responsible for the recent rapid changes in climate observed globally. The other functions of the atmosphere, while important, do not directly relate to the specific mechanism of climate change as effectively as the greenhouse gas effect does.