Preindustrial CO2: 278 ppm
CO2 emissions are cumulative in the atmosphere due to ultra-long CO2 atmospheric life-time 20% remains at 1000 years. CDIAC mean is 200 years
NOAA ESRL Greenhouse gas concentrations
April 2024 Atmospheric CO2: 423.9 ppm NOAA
Unprecedented rate of atmospheric CO2 increase
Multiple lines of evidence show that the rate at which CO2 has increased in the atmosphere during 1900–2019 is at least 10 times faster than at any other time during the last 800,000 years, and 4–5 times faster than during the last 56 million years
(IPCC AR6, WG1, 5-676) Exec Summary
Multiple lines of evidence show that the rate at which CO2 has increased in the atmosphere during 1900–2019 is at least 10 times faster than at any other time during the last 800,000 years, and 4–5 times faster than during the last 56 million years
(IPCC AR6, WG1, 5-676) Exec Summary
CO2 past 2000 years Abrupt increase
Atmospheric CO2 highest in 14 million years
IPCC AR6 Past 800,000 years
Scripps: Accelerating fossil fuel atmospheric CO2 and cumulative CO2 emissions (tracking worst-case scenario RCP8.5)
State of Our Climate
CO2 Levels
This is a new weekly CO2
as the %age above pre-industrial
Acceleration is clear right up to present
as the %age above pre-industrial
Acceleration is clear right up to present
WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin 2017
The rate of increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) over the past 70 years is nearly 100 times larger than that at the end of the last ice age.
The rate of increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) over the past 70 years is nearly 100 times larger than that at the end of the last ice age.
As far as direct and proxy observations can tell, such abrupt changes in the atmospheric levels of CO2 have never before been seen.
The figure shows the CO2 atmospheric content at the end of the last ice age, and the figure on the right shows recent atmospheric CO2 content. The thin grey area on the left figure, which looks like a vertical line, corresponds to a similar period of 70 years as depicted on the right figure for modern times.
There two CO2 concentrations posted by NOAA and Scripps
o Seasonally adjusted mean CO2 is main one used for policy
o NOAA also provides daily, weekly and montlhy CO2a new
o Seasonally adjusted mean CO2 is main one used for policy
o NOAA also provides daily, weekly and montlhy CO2a new
Unusual realistic accurate
rendering of record 2023
unprecedented atmospheric
level and increase rate
rendering of record 2023
unprecedented atmospheric
level and increase rate