Explain why the atmosphere is heated chiefly by radiation from the Earth’s surface rather by direct solar radiation.The atmosphere is heated chiefly by radiation from the Earth’s surface because radiation is absorbed by gas molecules. When the gas molecules absorb this radiation that a rise in temperature occurs. Which gases are the primary heat absorbers in the lower atmosphere?Water vapor and carbon dioxide are the primary heat absorbers in the lower atmosphere. How does the earth’s atmosphere act as a "greenhouse"?When solar radiation hits the Earth’s atmosphere some energy is absorbed by water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gasses in the atmosphere. This energy in result ends up heating up the atmosphere. What is the villain in the global warming problem?The greenhouse effect is the villain in the global warming problem.

All the gases in the atmosphere cannot absorb the entire radiation given from the sun directly, so the earth's surface gets heated directly first and then re-radiated back to the sky.

The Water vapor and carbon dioxide are known as the primary reason for the heating of the earth's atmosphere form the below and they tend to trap the amount of the solar heat and thus heat the surface-atmosphere first and they then give output of this energy in the form of the long waves radiation and thus influences the temperatures of the earth at the night time. Thus forming a greenhouse effect of gases.

The villain is the carbon dioxides that gets accumulation the atmosphere and thus ends up heating up of the air