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Title: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Record from Mauna Loa

Abstract

The Mauna Loa atmospheric CO2 measurements constitute the longest continuous record of atmospheric CO2 concentrations available in the world. The Mauna Loa site is considered one of the most favorable locations for measuring undisturbed air because possible local influences of vegetation or human activities on atmospheric CO2 concentrations are minimal and any influences from volcanic vents may be excluded from the records. The methods and equipment used to obtain these measurements have remained essentially unchanged during the 51-year monitoring program.Because of the favorable site location, continuous monitoring, and careful selection and scrutiny of the data, the Mauna Loa record is considered to be a precise record and a reliable indicator of the regional trend in the concentrations of atmospheric CO2 in the middle layers of the troposphere. On the basis of flask samples collected at Mauna Loa, and analyzed by SIO, the annual average of the fitted concentrations of CO2 rose from 315.98 ppmv in 1959 to 385.34 ppmv in 2008. This represents an average annual growth rate of 1.4 ppmv per year in the in situ values at Mauna Loa.

Authors:
; ; ;
  1. Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Publication Date:
Other Number(s):
doi:10.3334/CDIAC/atg.035
Research Org.:
Environmental System Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem (ESS-DIVE) (United States); CDIAC
Sponsoring Org.:
U.S. DOE > Office of Science > Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Keywords:
Carbon Dioxide; EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > AIR QUALITY
OSTI Identifier:
1394401
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3334/CDIAC/atg.035

Citation Formats

Keeling, Ralph F., Piper, Steve C., Bollenbacher, Allen F., and Walker, J S. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Record from Mauna Loa. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.3334/CDIAC/atg.035.
Keeling, Ralph F., Piper, Steve C., Bollenbacher, Allen F., & Walker, J S. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Record from Mauna Loa. United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.3334/CDIAC/atg.035
Keeling, Ralph F., Piper, Steve C., Bollenbacher, Allen F., and Walker, J S. 2009. "Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Record from Mauna Loa". United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.3334/CDIAC/atg.035. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1394401. Pub date:Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2009
@article{osti_1394401,
title = {Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Record from Mauna Loa},
author = {Keeling, Ralph F. and Piper, Steve C. and Bollenbacher, Allen F. and Walker, J S},
abstractNote = {The Mauna Loa atmospheric CO2 measurements constitute the longest continuous record of atmospheric CO2 concentrations available in the world. The Mauna Loa site is considered one of the most favorable locations for measuring undisturbed air because possible local influences of vegetation or human activities on atmospheric CO2 concentrations are minimal and any influences from volcanic vents may be excluded from the records. The methods and equipment used to obtain these measurements have remained essentially unchanged during the 51-year monitoring program.Because of the favorable site location, continuous monitoring, and careful selection and scrutiny of the data, the Mauna Loa record is considered to be a precise record and a reliable indicator of the regional trend in the concentrations of atmospheric CO2 in the middle layers of the troposphere. On the basis of flask samples collected at Mauna Loa, and analyzed by SIO, the annual average of the fitted concentrations of CO2 rose from 315.98 ppmv in 1959 to 385.34 ppmv in 2008. This represents an average annual growth rate of 1.4 ppmv per year in the in situ values at Mauna Loa.},
doi = {10.3334/CDIAC/atg.035},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2009},
month = {1}
}

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