Atmosphere of Mars energy to escape the planet. In this process the light isotope of carbon (C) is most likely to leave the atmosphere. Hence, the carbon dioxide left in the atmosphere would be enriched with the heavy isotope (C). This higher level of the heavy isotope is what was recently found by the "Curiosity" rover that sits on the surface of Mars. The atmosphere of Mars is enriched considerably with the noble gas argon, in comparison to the atmosphere of the other planets within the Solar System. Unlike carbon dioxide, the argon content of the atmosphere does not condense, and hence the
Trace gas causes its strong absorption of infrared radiation. Below is a table of some of the major greenhouse gases with man-made sources and their contribution to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Key Greenhouse Gases and Sources In contrast, the most abundant gases in the atmosphere are not greenhouse gases. The main reasons is because they cannot absorb infrared radiation as they do not have vibrations with a dipole moment. For instance, the triple bonds of atmospheric dinitrogen make for a highly symmetric molecule that is very inert in the atmosphere. The residence time of a trace gas depends on the abundance and