T Earth where T Venus is the temperature of Venus and T Earth is the temperature of Earth. This is the consequence of the greenhouse effect. Let's look at what really happens to sunlight when it reaches Earth. Now, let's look at what happens to the light absorbed by the ground. The ground cleary must warm up.
Warm things radiate heat to cool off, so the ground gives energy in the form of infrared light.
Water is not the only good molecule for absorbing infrared light. Carbon dioxide is also an excellent absorber. Between the H 2 O and CO 2 nearly all the upward going infrared light is absorbed in the atmosphere. Now we have to think about the atmosphere. It also is heated up, both by sunlight from above and infrared light from below.