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image source, GETTY IMAGES
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today announced its latest measurements of the amount of carbon dioxide in the world’s atmosphere. It was found that in May In the past, the concentration level increased from the previous year to 421 ppm or 421 parts per million. This is a new record in the history of mankind.
The amount of carbon dioxide at that level human beings have never encountered this before. Because it is the same level as Earth’s atmosphere from 4.1 – 4.5 million years ago. This corresponds to the Pliocene epoch, when the average global temperature was 3.9 degrees Celsius higher than today and sea levels were 5 to 25 meters higher than today.
The pre-industrial carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere in the 19th century had been stable at 280 ppm for millions of years. But the latest record is a huge jump from last year to 1.9 ppm and more than 50% above pre-industrial levels.
Most of the carbon dioxide comes from various industries and the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil or petroleum products. causing the accumulation of greenhouse gases that cause global temperatures to rise steadily
image source, NOAA
Stations for measuring carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere At the Crater of Hawaii’s Maunaloa
Noah measures carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere. From the crater of Mauna Loa in Hawaii, an extinct volcano at high enough altitude. until the results of the measurements are not contaminated from the earth’s pollution value
The reason for the measurement in May of each year is It is because during this period the Earth has the highest accumulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This is because plants in the Northern Hemisphere have stopped growing and do not absorb carbon since late autumn, winter and early spring. but following the end of May Plants will grow once more in the summer and absorb more carbon in the atmosphere.
A world in the Pliocene with the same carbon dioxide concentration as today. The land is flooded with seawater in many areas as polar ice caps melt. The average temperature is high But it is considered cooler than the Miocene regarding 2 million years before that. by the cooling of the global climate in those days causing a drought and appeared more and more of the prairies and the savannah instead of the forest.
