Keeling's Curve: The Story of CO2 Google+ Hangout

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was once misunderstood. Then, in 1958, a young geochemist named Charles (Dave) Keeling began to measure it regularly atop a massive Hawaiian volcano. Learn more about the patterns that Keeling found—and the legacy of that discovery—in this recorded online event with NOAA atmospheric scientists.

NOAA

Dr. Pieter Tans, Senior Scientist at NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) and lead, Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases Group

Scripps

Dr. Ralph Keeling, program director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography CO2 Program and son of Charles Keeling

Dr. Andy Jacobson, University of Colorado research scientist and NOAA lead for CarbonTracker at ESRL

The discussion focussed on an AMNH data visualization about CO₂’s global dynamics, designed for informal education at museums and science centers. Tans, Keeling, and Jacobson explore these patterns in atmospheric data and global models, explain how greenhouse gases are monitored, and discuss the significance of passing 400 parts per million CO₂ concentration, a long-anticipated symbolic milestone of our impact on Earth's atmosphere.

The seminar offers tips for interpreting the visualization with educational and museum audiences.

Materials

To view the visualization and additional resources, visit Keeling’s Curve: The Story of CO₂
For datasets formatted for Science on a Sphere, click here.

Funding for this visualization and professional development training is provided by NOAA Environmental Literacy Grant number NA10SEC0080014.