The Keeling Curve

For decades it was hard for the late Charles David Keeling to secure government funding for his research on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Government agencies did not see the value of measuring the same thing every year. But Dr. Keeling continued his measurements and eventually produced the Keeling curve - a graph that charts the steady rise of the CO₂ concentration in the Earth's atmosphere since the 1958. While the debate on global warming continues, the Keeling curve stands as clear empirical evidence that the atmosphere is changing.

Charles David Keeling passed away in June of this year at the age of 77.

Keeling developed a technique to accurately measure CO₂ in the 1950's. Keeling's measurements revealed a curious annual fluctuation in the measurements - a startling 3 percent change. He determined that this unexpected finding was caused by the seasonal increase and decrease in the respiration of land plants.

It was soon apparent from his measurements that the atmospheric level of CO₂ was steadily increasing. Scientists were concerned that an increased CO₂ concentration could result in a greenhouse effect, which might increase global temperatures. Climate science has become one of the hottest areas of new study as researchers try to determine if the rise in CO₂ is actually causing a greenhouse effect and to estimate the potential climatic changes that would result from global warming.

Links:

• Late scientist's work hailed as crucial in global warming fight from Sign On San Diego



• Keeling Curve from the University of California, San Diego



• The Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Effect from The Discovery of Global Warming - a web site created by Spencer Weart. This page chronicles the history of research on global warming.

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:03 AM on November 10, 2005

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