Venus Reached 867 F Through Runaway Greenhouse Effect as CO2 Swelled to 96% of Atmosphere
Updated
Updated · The Conversation · Jul 13
Venus Reached 867 F Through Runaway Greenhouse Effect as CO2 Swelled to 96% of Atmosphere
3 articles · Updated · The Conversation · Jul 13
Summary
867 F makes Venus hotter than Mercury because a runaway greenhouse effect trapped heat until the planet’s surface became uniformly scorching day and night.
40% brighter sunlight over billions of years likely evaporated Venus’s early water, removing a major carbon-dioxide sink and driving a feedback loop of more warming, more evaporation and more atmospheric CO2.
96% carbon dioxide now dominates Venus’s atmosphere, and surface pressure exceeds Earth’s by more than 90 times—roughly like conditions 3,000 feet underwater.
59 F on Earth reflects a moderate greenhouse effect that keeps the planet habitable, but the scientist said rising human-caused emissions and methane from thawing permafrost can still make Earth far less comfortable.