Peak carbon dioxide levels surpass 411 parts per million for May
Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere Hits Record High Monthly Average
April monthly average exceeds 410 parts per million for the first time in recorded history
Note on Reaching the Annual Low Point
We are now approaching the annual low point in the Mauna Loa CO2 curve, which typically happens around the last week of September but varies slightly from year to year.
Brief Reprieve from 400 PPM Era May Be Thanks to a Hurricane
A hurricane bearing down on Hawaii prompted operators to shut down CO2 monitoring equipment at Mauna Loa Observatory on the Big Island.
Daily Readings Have Been Restored
A failed disk that had prevented the reporting of daily readings was replaced on June 14 and the system is now running normally.
Note on Pause in Daily Readings
Readings of CO2 from Mauna Loa have been unavailable for two weeks. According to technicians with the Scripps CO2 Group, the problem is a disk failure that handles the data buffering, which has broken the data stream and valve switching that impacts daily calibration. The air data are recoverable, because the computer onboard the actual instrument is still working and … Read More
Record Annual Increase of Carbon Dioxide Observed for 2015
CO2 levels increasing at a faster rate than before
Measurement Note: An Adjustment to the Record
On Nov. 5, 2015, we made an adjustment to the Scripps Mauna Loa CO2 record that has the effect of increasing concentrations we have reported since April 2015
Is the Rate of CO2 Growth Slowing or Speeding Up?
The rate of growth in carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere has accelerated since the beginnings of the Keeling Curve.
Why Don’t Global Surface Temperature Trends Match Atmospheric CO2 Increases?
Question submitted to Scripps Oceanography science magazine explorations now by Ruben M., Watsonville, Calif. Great question Ruben! The surface temperature we experience every day is not expected to perfectly track CO2 because CO2 isn’t the only factor driving climate change. Still, it is quite an important factor, and the overall rise in temperature does roughly follow the overall rise in CO2. … Read More