|
 Atmospheric CO2 is accelerating upward from decade to decade. In the past ten years, the average annual rate of increase was 1.91 parts per million (ppm). This rate of increase is more than double what it was during the first ten years of CO2 instrument measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory. See the details in the table below.
Decade Annual Rate of Increase (Atmospheric CO2)
2000 – 2009 1.92 ppm
1990 – 1999 1.52 ppm
1980 – 1989 1.61 ppm
1970 – 1979 1.22 ppm
1960 – 1969 0.86 ppm
Sources:
Annual CO2 Data: Scripps / NOAA data for atmospheric CO2
Rate of change calculations: CO2Now.org
More Information:
Global Carbon Project | Carbon Budget 2007 (see "atmospheric CO2 growth") |
