Greenhouse gases are gases in the Earths atmosphere that trap heat and warm the planet, creating the greenhouse effect. They absorb the wavelengths of radiation that the Earth emits, resulting in the warming of the planet. Greenhouse gases are infrared active gases that absorb and emit infrared radiation in the wavelength range emitted by Earth. The most abundant greenhouse gas in the Earths atmosphere is water vapor, followed by carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Synthetic fluorinated gases also function as greenhouse gases. The release of greenhouse gases associated with human activities and climate change is referred to as greenhouse gas emissions or climate pollution. The most significant gases that cause global warming via the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.