N°7 - Did the thermal resistance of the atmosphere increase?

Although the temperature at the surface level of the earth is + 15 [°C] (+59 [°F]), when observed from space the temperature of the planet is -19 [°C] (+2.2 [°F]) (see the folder Global Warming Part I).

The temperature at the surface level of the earth remains at +15 [°C] (+59 [°F]) due to the fact that some solar rays are neither immediately reflected towards space nor immediately absorbed by the atmosphere. A large proportion of these rays penetrates through the atmosphere and reaches the ground. As a result the ground warms up and in return emits infrared rays.

The atmosphere captures 87% of these infrared rays coming from the ground, which allows the planet to keep its temperature around +15 [°C] (+59 [°F]) around the surface level while having a temperature of -19 [°C] (+2.2 [°F]) at 5,000 [m] altitude (according to measurements obtained with weather balloons).

In addition, ...