Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Fraction Remained Constant In The Last 150 Years, Study Reveals

2 January 2010 | Green News | 4 Comments

The whole “carbon dioxide” puzzle is a lot more complicated matter than most scientist tend to think. Many new research that surfaced lately come to disprove most of their paradigms about this greenhouse gas. It represents about 0.04% of the Earth’s atmosphere but it is a vital gas for the Planet well-being. A major part of the carbon dioxide emitted through human activity does not remain in the atmosphere, but it is absorbed by the oceans  and by the Earth’s ecosystems. Less than half, 45 percent, of the CO2 amount still lingers in the atmosphere. Also a new study comes now to show that for the last 150 years, the carbon dioxide fraction has not risen at all.

However this Earth’s ability to absorb CO2 has declined lately, recent research shows, thus increasing the airborne atmospheric carbon dioxide fraction. Many climate models show that this growth in airborne fraction will take place. Nevertheless, exact statements have not been made yet if the growth or a decline is present. This knowledge is essential in predicting future climate change or in taking the conclusion that this alteration in airborne atmospheric CO2 is in any way affected by the CO2 emissions growth.

Wolfgang Knorr, a scientist of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol reexamined the existing atmospheric carbon dioxide analysis and emissions data since the first measurement were taken, 1850, and came to  some contradicting results. In contrast to many studies, he came to the conclusion that the atmospheric carbon dioxide fraction remained constant in the last 150 years or at least during last 50 years.

Tags: atmosphere, atmospheric fraction, carbon dioxide, co2, Co2 emissions, Earth, greenhouse gas, human activity, research, University of Bristol

4 Comments

  1. MarkSpizer said on 3 May 2010 at 8:54 am:

    great post as usual!

  2. cna training said on 10 Jun 2010 at 1:18 am:

    Terrific work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher!

  3. Wayne J said on 22 Dec 2010 at 4:44 am:

    If I were a new tree, programmed for thousands of years to expect a certain fraction of the atmosphere for my supply of CO2 for sustenance, my metabolic rate would, in fact, favor that fraction of CO2 and I would expire O2 appropriately. Just talking like a tree.

  4. admin said on 22 Dec 2010 at 3:02 pm:

    Nice thinking! Thanks Wayne! :)

Leave a Reply