The Earth’s atmosphere is mainly heated by which one of the following ?

The Earth's atmosphere is primarily heated by long wave terrestrial radiation rather than direct solar radiation. While the Sun emits short-wave radiation, the atmosphere is largely transparent to these wavelengths, allowing them to pass through and heat the Earth's surface [2][4]. Once heated, the Earth becomes a radiating body itself, emitting energy back into the atmosphere in the form of long-wave infrared radiation [1][3]. This process is known as terrestrial radiation. Atmospheric constituents, particularly greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor, are opaque to these long wavelengths [3][5]. They absorb this outgoing terrestrial energy and re-radiate it, effectively trapping heat within the lower atmosphere [2]. Consequently, the atmosphere is heated indirectly from the ground up, maintaining the planet's thermal balance [1].

Sources

1. [2] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming > p. 7
2. [4] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Solar Radiation, Heat Balance and Temperature > The Passage of Solar Radiation through the Atmosphere > p. 68
3. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Solar Radiation, Heat Balance and Temperature > Terrestrial Radiation > p. 69
4. [3] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: World Climate and Climate Change > Global Warming > p. 96
5. [5] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 7: Climate Change > 2. greenhouse gases > p. 9