Navigating

Search site:

Atmosphere

Articles

Autonomy

Authors

Bibliography

Biodiversity

Briefings

Capacity

Climate

Coastal

Demography

Ecology

Eco-design

Facts

Geography

Geothermal

History

Inquiry

Justice

Keeling Curve

Latest findings

Laws

Levels

Methods

New

Oceans

Photographs

Presentations

Research

Reviews

Science

Site Map

Sources

Technology

Tragedy

Vita

Vocabulary

WEAL acronym

Writing

Z-A site contents

Carbon dioxide levels today (July 24, 2016): 403.83 ppm ; parts per million.

Vaporous gas composition of the Earth's atmosphere near sea level:

*

Weekly trends in carbon dioxide concentration levels in the atmosphere.

Carbon dixide is measured in parts per million ppm, or ppmv (volume)

+

residency time in the atmosphere, how long a molecule, on average, stays active in solution, or in the air.

 

** The current measure: Mauna Loa is November 20, 2015 400.4 ppm or parts per million.

In 2013, CO² accounted for about 82% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.

In 1969, CO² Carbon dioxide measurement was 318 ppm.

Carbon dioxide measurement was 360 ppm in 1990.

Carbon dioxide measurement was 375 ppm circa 2004.

Carbon dioxide measurement was 383.1 ppm in 2007.

Carbon dioxide measurement was 394.45 ppm March, 2012.

Carbon dioxide measurement was 383.1 ppm April 2012.

Carbon dioxide measurement was 404.1 ppm in May 2015.

Today Carbon dioxide measurement is increasing at more than the 50 year average rate of 1.5 ppm /annum. In 2000-2007, green house gas content of the atmosphere was increasing at 2 ppm in bad years and 1.7 ppm in good years.

*** 7-24-2000 discovered by atmospheric chemists

 

Nitrous Oxide emissions or n²o

"In 2013, nitrous oxide (N²O) accounted for about 5% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities."

114 year residence time in the atmosphere.

http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.html

"In 2013, methane, CH⁴ , accounted for about 10% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Methane is emitted by natural sources such as wetlands, as well as human activities such as leakage from natural gas systems and the raising of livestock."

 

---

Sources:

U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA: Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide web site,

• Monthly recent carbon dioxide at Mauna Loa

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/

• full range from 1958-present graphic

Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change, Brasseur, Orlando, & Tyndall, eds. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999). p. 9.

Mark Bush, Ecology of a Changing Planet. Upper Saddle River, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 2000. pp. 361-368.

MIT: A lecture by Ronald Prinn

Tyler Volk. CO2 Rising: The World's Greatest Environmental Challenge, Cambridge, Mass. MIT Press, 2008. pp. 36-37.