Although these molecules allow radiation at visible wavelengths， where most of the energy of sunlight is concentrated，to pass through，they absorb some of the longer-wavelength，infrared emissions radiated from the Earth's surface，radiation that would otherwise be transmitted back into space.
雖然這些分子允許可見波長(visible wavelength)的輻射——陽光的絕大部分能量就匯集于此——不受阻擋地穿透，但它們卻會吸收某些較長波長(longer-wavelength)，亦即從地球表面輻射出的紅外發(fā)射(infrared emission)，這種輻射若不是二氧化碳的緣故就會被重新輸送回太空。