1037. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentrations Rise at the Fastest Pace in Recorded History

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography is known for the work of the late Dr. Charles David Keeling, who began monitoring carbon dioxide concentrations at the Mauna Loa Observatory in 1958. Dr. Keeling is known for his Keeling Curve, which showed that carbon dioxide levels drop during the growing season of plants in the Northern Hemisphere and begin to rise in the fall as the plants die. Dr. Keeling is also recognized as the first researcher to show that CO2 is rising every year, not just seasonal fluctuations.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced on June 6 that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations at the Mauna Loa Observatory rose at the fastest pace on record.

The scientists reported an average concentration of 426.7 ppm in May 2024, an increase of 2.92 ppm from the 423.78 ppm observed in May 2023. They noted that the rate of increase from 2022 to 2024 may have been due to El Niño conditions overlapping with emissions from fossil fuel combustion, limiting the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program