Title: Recent Greenhouse Gas Concentrations

Abstract

Gases typically measured in parts per million (ppm), parts per billion (ppb) or parts per trillion (ppt) are presented separately to facilitate comparison of numbers. Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) and atmospheric lifetimes are from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2013, Table 8.A.1), except for the atmospheric lifetime of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is explained in footnote 4. Additional material on greenhouse gases can be found in CDIAC's Reference Tools. To find out how CFCs, HFCs, HCFCs, and halons are named, see Name that compound: The numbers game for CFCs, HFCs, HCFCs, and Halons. Concentrations given apply to the lower 75-80 percent of the atmosphere, known as the troposphere. Sources of the current and preindustrial concentrations of the atmospheric gases listed in the table below are given in the footnotes. Investigators at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have provided the recent concentrations. Much of the data provided results from the work of various investigators at institutions other than CDIAC, and represent considerable effort on their part. We ask as a basic professional courtesy that you acknowledge the primary sources, indicated in the footnotes below, or in the links given in the footnotes. Concentrations of ozone and water vapormore » are spatially and temporally variable due to their short atmospheric lifetimes. A vertically and horizontally averaged water vapor concentration is about 5,000 ppm. Globally averaged water vapor concentration is difficult to measure precisely because it varies from one place to another and from one season to the next. This precludes a precise determination of changes in water vapor since pre-industrial time. However, a warmer atmosphere will likely contain more water vapor than at present. For a more detailed statement on water vapor from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, see the "water vapor" page at http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/gases.html« less

Authors:

Blasing, T. J.

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Environmental Sciences Division

Publication Date:

2013-02-20

Other Number(s):

cdiac:doi 10.3334/CDIAC/atg.032; osti:1389528; doi:10.3334/CDIAC/ATG.032

Research Org.:

Environmental System Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem (ESS-DIVE) (United States)

Subject:

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Keywords:

atmospheric greenhouse gases; atmospheric trace gases; Carbon Dioxide; Carbon Tetrachloride; CCl4; CF-113; CFC replacement species; CFC-11; CFC-113; CFC-12; CFC11; CFC113; CFC12; CH4; CO2; Global Warming Potential; Greenhouse Gases; GWP; Halocarbons; Halon 1211; Halon 1301; HCFC-141b; HCFC-142b; HCFC-22; HCFC141b; HCFC22; HFC-134a; HFC134a; Historical tropospheric concentrations; Methane; Methyl Chloroform; N2O; Nitrous Oxide; O3; Radiatively active gases; SF6; Sulfur Hexafluoride; Tropospheric concentrations; Tropospheric Ozone; Gas; Pre-1750 tropospheric concentration; Recent tropospheric concentration; Global Warming Potential (GWP) (100-yr time horizon); Atmospheric lifetime (years); Increased radiative forcing; carbon dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O); ozone (O3); CFC-11; CFC-12; CFC-113; HCFC-22; HFC-134a; HCFC-141b; Halon 1211; Halon 1301; HFC-134a; carbon tetrachloride (CCl4); HCFC-141b; Halon 1211; Halon 1301; methyl chloroform; sulfur hexafluoride (SF6); Concentrations (ppm); Tropospheric Concentration

OSTI Identifier:

1394398

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3334/CDIAC/atg.032