What was the CO2 concentration over Mauna Loa in 2020?

What was the CO2 concentration over Mauna Loa in 2020?

417.16 parts per million
As measured by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at the top of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawai’i, atmospheric carbon dioxide reached a monthly average of 417.16 parts per million (ppm) for the month of May 2020. Just one year before, CO2 levels had reached a maximum of 415 ppm, and in 2018, the peak was 411 ppm.

Why is CO2 rising in Mauna Loa?

“There is abundant and conclusive evidence that the acceleration is caused by increased emissions,” Tans said. This plaque is fixed to the original building where C. David Keeling began taking carbon dioxide measurements near the top of Mauna Loa in 1958. Credit: Susan Cobb, NOAA.

During what geologic period were CO2 levels the highest?

Concentrations of CO 2 in the atmosphere were as high as 4,000 parts per million (ppm, on a molar basis) during the Cambrian period about 500 million years ago to as low as 180 ppm during the Quaternary glaciation of the last two million years.

How long do the atmospheric CO2 records at Mauna Loa Hawaii observatory span?

NOAA began its own measurements of CO2 concentrations at Mauna Loa in 1974. The two programs have been maintained in parallel for more than 40 years, together making the Mauna Loa data the world’s foremost continuous record of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.

How does Mauna Loa measure CO2?

In April of 2019, a new CO2 analyzer was installed at Mauna Loa that uses a technique called Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS). (Prior to this date, an analyzer was used based on infrared absorption.)

Why does CO2 vary on seasonal timescales?

The amount of CO2 found in the atmosphere varies over the course of a year. Much of this variation happens because of the role of plants in the carbon cycle. Respiration occurs all the time, but dominates during the colder months of the year, resulting in higher CO2 levels in the atmosphere during those months.

Why did Keeling choose Mauna Loa?

Mauna Loa was chosen as a long-term monitoring site due to its remote location far from continents and its lack of vegetation. Keeling and his collaborators measured the incoming ocean breeze above the thermal inversion layer to minimize local contamination from volcanic vents.

When were CO2 levels as high as today?

But in at least one respect it was rather similar. This is the last time that carbon dioxide (CO2) levels were as high as they are today. On May 9, 2013, CO2 levels in the air reached the level of 400 parts per million (ppm). This is the first time in human history that this milestone has been passed.

What is the atmospheric lifetime of CO2?

Carbon dioxide is a different animal, however. Once it’s added to the atmosphere, it hangs around, for a long time: between 300 to 1,000 years.

Does Mauna Loa release CO2?

Mauna Loa is indeed an active volcano; it last erupted in 1950, 1975, and 1984. Between eruptions, it emits variable amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) from fissures at the summit.

Where is CO2 measured?

the Mauna Loa Observatory
CO2 measurements are made by two independent CO2 monitoring programs (NOAA and Scripps) at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, about 3400 metres above sea level.

What is the atmospheric CO 2 level at Mauna Loa?

These data are still preliminary, pending recalibrations of reference gases and other quality control checks. Atmospheric increase of CO 2 over 280 ppm in weekly averages of CO 2 observed at Mauna Loa. This figure shows the atmospheric increase of CO 2 over 280 ppm in weekly averages of CO 2 observed at Mauna Loa.

What does the Mauna Loa Observatory measure?

Mauna Loa observatory has grown to become the premier long-term atmospheric monitoring facility on Earth and is the site where the ever-increasing concentrations of global atmospheric carbon dioxide were discovered. Are there any trends in the data?

What is the nonoaa CO 2 data based on?

NOAA CO 2 data is based on local time in Boulder, Colorado, USA, from where scientists coordinate the activites of its global monitoring network. Data published within the past year should be considered preliminary and subject to change by scientists based on recalibrations of reference gas mixtures or other quality control procedures.