Incoming sunlightEnergy from the Sun on its way to Earth's surface.
Sunlight reflected by cloudsSunlight that clouds bounce back to space. It never warms the ground.
Sunlight reflected by the surfaceSunlight that the ground bounces back. Snow and ice reflect the most.
Sunlight absorbed by the surfaceSunlight the land and ocean take in. It warms them.
Surface of the EarthThe land and ocean. Sunlight warms them, and they give off heat.
Heat going out 5
Heat given off by the surfaceThe warmed surface gives off heat as infrared radiation.
Greenhouse gasesGases that absorb heat. Carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor are three.
Heat sent back to the surfaceHeat the greenhouse gases radiate back down. This keeps the surface warm.
Heat escaping to spaceHeat that gets past the gases and leaves Earth.
AtmosphereThe layer of air around Earth. Greenhouse gases are part of it.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 in a NASA page and a UCAR page. (1) NASA Science, What is the greenhouse effect?, https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/faq/what-is-the-greenhouse-effect/ (heat held near the surface by greenhouse gases; the gases named). (2) NASA Science, Earth's Radiation Budget, https://science.nasa.gov/ems/13_radiationbudget/ (incoming radiation from the Sun; reflected off clouds; reflected off snow, ice or other surfaces or absorbed by the surface; longwave infrared radiation emitted; some radiates toward the surface, some out to space). (3) UCAR Center for Science Education, The Greenhouse Effect, https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/how-climate-works/greenhouse-effect (solar energy absorbed at the surface is radiated as heat; greenhouse gases absorb it and radiate it back to the surface or out to space; some heat goes to space directly). (4) UCAR Center for Science Education, The Sun and Earth's Energy Budget, https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/how-climate-works/energy-budget (incoming solar energy reflected by clouds and ice; the warm ground and oceans release infrared radiation). (5) US Environmental Protection Agency, Overview of Greenhouse Gases, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases; water vapor). Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry. Own original drawing; nothing is traced or copied. Licence: own work
How it works
This greenhouse effect diagram shows what happens to sunlight after it reaches Earth. Name each arrow, or print the drawing blank to label by hand.
Read the full guide
Sunlight in
Energy from the Sun arrives as sunlight. Clouds reflect some of it back to space, and so does the surface. The land and ocean absorb the rest, which warms them.
Heat out
The warmed surface gives off heat as infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb much of it and radiate it again: some out to space, some back down to the surface. The heat sent back keeps the surface warmer than sunlight alone would.
Questions and answers
What is the greenhouse effect?
NASA describes it as the process through which heat is trapped near Earth's surface by greenhouse gases. The surface gives off heat, the gases absorb it, and part of it comes back down.
What are the main greenhouse gases?
Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are the major ones. Nitrogen and oxygen make up most of the air, and they do not absorb heat this way.
Is the greenhouse effect natural?
In part, yes. Without it Earth would be below freezing. NASA and the UCAR Center for Science Education also say that burning fossil fuels adds greenhouse gases, which makes the effect stronger.
How do I draw and label a diagram of the greenhouse effect?
Draw the Sun, the surface and the air between. Add a straight arrow for sunlight coming in, one for sunlight reflected, then wavy arrows for heat leaving the surface, escaping to space and sent back down.