![]() Fossil fuels like coal and oil contain carbon that plants pulled out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis over many millions of years we are returning that carbon to the atmosphere in just a few hundred. NOAA image, based on Mauna Loa monthly mean data from NOAA Global Monitoring Lab.Ĭarbon dioxide concentrations are rising mostly because of the fossil fuels that people are burning for energy. In May 2023, carbon dioxide hit 424 ppm-a new record. At Mauna Loa, the highest monthly value each year occurs in May. The long-term trend of rising carbon dioxide levels is driven by human activities. The seasonal cycle of highs and lows (small peaks and valleys) is driven by Northern Hemisphere summer vegetation growth, which reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide, and winter decay, which increases it. This graph shows the station's monthly average carbon dioxide measurements since 1958 in parts per million (ppm). The modern record of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels began with observations recorded at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.
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