Teacher Presentation - Carbon Dioxide Levels

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Carbon Dioxide Levels on the Rise

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NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Amazon Rainforests

Greenland Ice Sheet

The Great Barrier Reef

Norway

Mauna Loa Observatory

Click on the location of the Muana Loa Observatory.

The Mauna Loa Weather Observatory

photo credit: NOAA

Your challenge is to find out how scientists study the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere and how CO2 levels have changed over time.

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NOAA began measurements in 1974, and the two research institutions have made complementary, independent observations ever since.

https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification

Scientists have been measuring the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth's atmosphere at Mauna Loa Observatory for many decades.

CO2 sensors measure the concentration of CO2 in the air .

NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Click on the CO2 sensor.

https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification

Data Source: NOAA

NOAA began measurements in 1974, and the two research institutions have made complementary, independent observations ever since.

CO2 analyzers measure the concentration of CO2 in the air by measuring the absorption of electromagnetic waves in air samples.

Average Atmospheric CO2 at the Mauna Loa Observatory

Some of the CO2 measurements made at Mauna Loa Observatory are provided in this data table.

NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It'd be really helpful to see this data in a graph!

Click on the data table to graph the CO2 data!

Data Source: NOAA

https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification

NOAA began measurements in 1974, and the two research institutions have made complementary, independent observations ever since.

Position vs. Time

Click on the points on the graph that correspond to the data in the data table. The first point is completed. When all 7 points have been added to the graph, they will connect.

Average Atmospheric CO2 at the Mauna Loa Observatory

Average Atmospheric CO2 at the Mauna Loa Observatory

Nice graph! Continue

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Average Atmospheric CO2 at the Mauna Loa Observatory

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ppm (parts per million)

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Data Source: NOAA

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

introduction

write a title here

Average Atmospheric CO2 at the Mauna Loa Observatory

• 317
• 100
• 15
• 3,000

In 1960, about of every 1 million air particles were carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules. Since then, the concentration of carbon dioxide has by almost parts per million.

• increased
• decreased
• not changed

• 100
• 15
• 30

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CO2 levels dropped

Carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements clearly show that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing. But why?

Click on a carbon dioxide molecule.

Sometimes... to understand the present, it helps to understand the past.

Scientists have come up with a clever way to better understand our atmosphere's past.

It involves REALLY old ice!

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Scientists have come up with a clever way to better understand our atmosphere's past.

Ice sheets and glaciers contain ice that has been frozen for up to 800,000 years.The deeper the ice, the older it is.

Click on the part of this ice sheet that is the oldest.

Scientists drill ice cores from ice that froze at various times throughout history.

Click here for photo credit.

Click on the ice core.

The bubbles inside the ice are as old as the ice.Scientists analyze these bubbles and learn about the composition of the atmosphere when the ice froze.

Click here for photo Credit

Click on the ice core.

By studying the bubbles in really old ice, scientists have been able to estimate the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for the past 800,000 years.

Click on one of the points on the graph that represents a low concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere during the past 800,000 years.

The dashed line shows the increase in CO2 over the last 100 years.

What happened to CO2 levels over the last 100 years?

Last 100 Years

CO2 levels dropped.

CO2 levels remained about the same.

CO2 levels increased to over 100 ppm over the previous high.

That's correct. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased to levels that are MUCH higher than any time during the past 800,000 years.

What changed?

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (blue line) has increased along with human emissions (gray line) since the start of the Industrial Revolution in 1750. Emissions rose slowly to about 5 billion tons per year in the mid-20th century before skyrocketing to more than 35 billion tons per year by the end of the century. NOAA Climate.gov graph, adapted from original by Dr. Howard Diamond (NOAA ARL). Atmospheric CO2 data from NOAA and ETHZ. CO2 emissions data from Our World in Data and the Global Carbon Project.

Last 100 Years

Click here to find out what caused the dramatic increase in CO2 levels.

Starting during the industrial revolution in 1750, humans began burning fossil fuels at higher and higher rates.Burning fossils fuels releases a lot of extra CO2 into the atmosphere.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (blue line) has increased along with human emissions (gray line) since the start of the Industrial Revolution in 1750. Emissions rose slowly to about 5 billion tons per year in the mid-20th century before skyrocketing to more than 35 billion tons per year by the end of the century. NOAA Climate.gov graph, adapted from original by Dr. Howard Diamond (NOAA ARL). Atmospheric CO2 data from NOAA and ETHZ. CO2 emissions data from Our World in Data and the Global Carbon Project.

Human activity results in the release A LOT OF CO2!

Click on the part of the graph that corresponds to the time that human activity caused increased CO2 levels.

When the coral is stressed, the algae that live on, feed, give the coral color leave.

Select the human activities that increase the levels of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Transportation: Planes, trains, cars, etc.

Farming

The generation of electricity from burning coal and other fossil fuels

Building new stores, homes, office buildings, and roads

Factories- such as those that make computers, clothes, and bicycles

Planting trees.

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Click here to read an awesome ASU article on planton.

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In summary...

photo credit: NOAA

Scientists, such as those at the Muana Loa observatory, have been and recording the CO2 levels in the atmosphere for the past several decades.

• measuring
• skiing
• going to the beach

• ice core
• soil
• cheese

Scientists have also been able to use very old ice core samples to determine the CO2 levels of the atmosphere during the past 800,000 years.

Photo Credit

As a result of these measurements, scientists have learned that human since the start of the industrial revolution has caused CO2 levels to increase to levels well beyond the levels that have been normal for Earth's atmosphere during the past 800,000 years.

• human activity
• volcanic activity
• tree planting

• increase
• decrease
• remain constant

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The Mauna Loa Weather Observatory

You successfully completed the challenge! Maybe one day you'll be a scientist that helps the world better understand the changes in our atmosphere.

photo credit: NOAA

photo credit: NOAA

This feature has been disabled the teacher presentation.

NOAA began measurements in 1974, and the two research institutions have made complementary, independent observations ever since.

https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification

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