CO₂ Concentration, 2002-2009 [720p]

This visualization is a time-series of the global distribution and variation of the concentration of mid-tropospheric carbon dioxide observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the NASA Aqua spacecraft. For comparison, it is overlain by a graph of the seasonal variation and interannual increase of carbon dioxide observed at the Mauna Loa, Hawaii observatory. The AIRS data show the average concentration (parts per million) over an altitude range of 3 km to 13 km, whereas the Mauna Loa data show the concentration at an altitude of 3.4 km and its annual increase at a rate of approximately 2 parts per million (ppm) per year.

The two most notable features of this visualization are the seasonal variation of CO₂ and the trend of increase in its concentration from year to year. The global map clearly shows that the CO₂ in the northern hemisphere peaks in April-May and then drops to a minimum in September-October. Although the seasonal cycle is less pronounced in the southern hemisphere it is opposite to that in the northern hemisphere. This seasonal cycle is governed by the growth cycle of plants. The northern hemisphere has the majority of the land masses, and so the amplitude of the cycle is greater in that hemisphere. The overall color of the map shifts toward the red with advancing time due to the annual increase of CO₂.

Although the mid-latitude jet streams are not visible in the map, we can see their influence upon the distribution of CO₂ around the globe. These rivers of air occur at an altitude of about 5 km and rapidly transport CO₂ around the globe at that altitude. In the northern hemisphere, the mid-latitude jet stream squirms like a released garden hose over the period of a few days due to the continental landmasses.

In the southern hemisphere the jet stream flow is more directly West to East, and during the period from July to October the CO₂ concentration is enhanced in a belt delineated by the jet stream and lofting of CO₂ into the free troposphere by the high Andes is visible in this period. The zonal flow of CO₂ around the globe at the latitude of South Africa, southern Australia and southern South America is readily apparent.

Eastward flow of CO₂ from Indonesia and the Celebes sea can be seen in the November to February time frame.

credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

source: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003600/a003685/index.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• carbon dioxide
• aqua spacecraft
• mauna loa
• CO2

[longded]

on first glance it looks severe, but what the reading is of has no real meaning to me firstly and then I notice there is a shift of 20 in a scale many times this amount ? does it look bad or minimal ?

;]

[djxatlanta]

To the layperson, it looks minimal, but to climatologists, it's very serious. CO2 levels will continue to rise since governments and corporations are unwilling to seriously consider reducing emissions, and with increased CO2 levels will come increasing global temperatures. In my opinion, and in the opinion of a growing number of scientists, we've already passed the "point of no return" in terms of potentially reversing the CO2 rise.

[longded]

@djxatlanta appreciate your standpoint, my only thoughts are is it due to earth activities or due to universal conditions, with knowing how mankind tends to think the wrong thing from time to time, it would be nice to think this was normal fluctuation and its a pitty you cant send that device back in time ? but yea if they got a time transport it would be used for bombs and assasinations first huh!

;]

[djxatlanta]

@longded - geologic activity does contribute CO2 to the atmosphere, but not enough to account for the observed steady rise. As a rapidly reproducing species, we're continuing to use increasing amounts of coal and gas for fuel. Our oceans can absorb some much of the CO2, but as Earth warms, it's not as effective (just like warming soda loses its fizziness). The Amazon jungle used to collect much of Earth's CO2, also, but it's slowly getting chopped down. Ergo, no place else for the CO2 to go.

[longded]

@djxatlanta well lets hope carbon has more sense than we give it credit for ?

be nice if some of that desert gets its thirst quenched and those lovely forests run wild again ? ecopolis ftw! (for the win... or sometimes full team wipeout?)

;]

[djxatlanta]

@longded - would be nice... however, I've seen ecological projections over the next century or two that show places like the Sahara expanding and the Amazon river basin drying up and turning into savanna. At this point, it doesn't even matter anymore whether one believes our current global warming is natural or manmade (or a combination of both)... the planet is warming, no doubt about it... but the irony is that we as a human species are not getting ready to adapt to a warmer world.

[longded]

@djxatlanta que galactic police investigation and release of the celestial home care encyclopedia, dont panic!

;]