When did Dave Keeling begin collecting air samples at the Mauna Loa Observatory?
Dave Keeling began collecting air samples in 1958. He used glass flasks to trap atmospheric gas and measured carbon dioxide levels with unprecedented precision.
Questions about Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of Earth
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What date did daily averages of carbon dioxide first exceed 400 ppm?
Daily averages first exceeded 400 parts per million on the 10th of May 2013. That milestone had already been passed in the Arctic by June 2012.
How much has human activity increased atmospheric carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution?
Human actions have driven a 50% increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Burning fossil fuels accounts for roughly two-thirds of all excess emissions since 1850.
Which wavelengths dominate the interaction between carbon dioxide molecules and infrared radiation?
Two wavelengths dominate this interaction: 4.26 micrometers and 14.99 micrometers. When atmospheric gas absorbs energy at these vibrational modes, heat stays trapped near the ground.
When was Svante Arrhenius first published calculations linking increased CO2 to rising temperatures?
Svante Arrhenius first published calculations linking increased carbon dioxide to rising temperatures in 1896. By 2013, scientists estimated that elevated carbon dioxide caused 1.82 watts per square meter of radiative forcing.