Runaway Greenhouse Effect - History

History

This term was coined by Caltech scientist Andrew Ingersoll in a paper that described a model of the atmosphere of Venus. Water vapor initially in the atmosphere of Venus absorbed outgoing radiation which caused the planet to heat and increased water vapor. High abundance of water vapor in the atmosphere allowed it to be photodissociated, with lighter hydrogen gas escaping to space and oxygen reacting with surface rocks. This model is supported by the deuterium/hydrogen ratio on Venus which is 150 times greater than the D/H ratio on Earth.

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