Global warming potential
Global warming potential (GWP) measures how much heat a greenhouse gas (GHG) traps in the atmosphere. All the GHGs measured are relative to CO2, which has a value of 1. The higher the GWP, the more heat a gas traps, therefore, the higher the GWP the more harm it has on the climate.
The chart below does not take into account the complicated factors involved on how long a gas stays in the atmosphere. For example, CO2 has a much longer residence time than methane, decreasing the gap between them of how much heat they will trap in their respective lifetimes.
Common GWP values[1][2]
Gas | Chemical formula | Atmospheric lifetime (years) | GWP value |
---|---|---|---|
Carbon dioxide | CO2 | -* | 1 |
Methane | CH4 | 12 | 21 |
Nitrous oxide | N2O | 114 | 310 |
Ammonia | NH3 | <2 hours | 0 |
Nitrogen trifluoride | NF3 | 740 | 10,970 |
*Calculating the atmospheric lifetime of CO2 is extremely complex. If you'd like to learn about it, click here.
For Further Reading
References
- ↑ "2.10.2 Direct Global Warming Potentials - AR4 WGI Chapter 2: Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and in Radiative Forcing", Ipcc.ch, 2018. [Online]. Available: http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch2s2-10-2.html. [Accessed: 13- Jul- 2018].
- ↑ "Ozone Layer Protection | US EPA", US EPA, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection. [Accessed: 13- Jul- 2018].