Atmosphere, CO2 on my mind by Daniel Lux

The fast-paced pulse in those rainforests is due to the day-night CO 2 cycle: Plants absorb the greenhouse gas during the day via photosynthesis (when the sun is out), and then stop absorbing it at night. The daily rhythm of CO 2 is apparent over our planet's largest forests, such as the Amazon rainforest in South America and the Congo rainforest in Central Africa. During Northern Hemisphere fall and winter months, much of the CO 2 is re-released into the atmosphere, due to respiration, and can be seen building up.īy June and July 2021, plants again draw CO 2 out of the atmosphere, but notably higher amounts remain there in contrast with the previous year. By visualizing the data like this, the higher CO 2 concentrations, which are closer to the ground, are highlighted, revealing the seasonal movement of high CO 2 at a global scale.ĭuring the months of June to September (summer months in the Northern Hemisphere), global CO 2 concentrations tend to be the lowest, because Northern Hemisphere plants actively absorb CO 2 from the atmosphere via photosynthesis, which is the process of turning sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into food (sugars) and oxygen. These lower values tend to be higher in the atmosphere. (All 3D cells of the model are opaque, revealing a solid brick of data.) During this month, the higher values of CO 2 coalesce around the 'equatorial belt.'īy mid-July 2020, CO 2 values between 385 ppm and 405 ppm in the atmosphere become transparent.

The visualization starts in June 2020, showing all of the model’s values of global CO 2. (The term 'parts per million' refers to the number of carbon dioxide molecules per million molecules of dry air.) However, around 2.5 parts per million (ppm) remain in the atmosphere every year, causing a steady rise in concentrations that scientists have been tracking since the 1950s, at surface stations. Every year, the world’s vegetation and ocean absorb about half of human-caused CO 2 emissions, slowing the rate of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. This video shows the accumulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2) during a single calendar year.

Atmosphere, CO2 on my mind by Daniel Lux