Growth Rate of Carbon Dioxide Concentration in the Atmospheric Surface Layer in the Late 20th Century and Early 21st Century

Abstract

The rate of variations in the CO2 concentration in the atmospheric surface layer at different geographic locations in the late 20th century and early 21st century is considered. The series of monthly mean concentration at the GAW (Global Atmosphere Watch) monitoring stations are used. The average rates of CO2 concentration growth and their standard deviations are estimated for 64 stations for the above two time periods. It is shown that the growth rate insignificantly varies with latitude during the analyzed periods. However, the growth rate for almost every station in the second period substantially exceeds the value for the first period. Thus, there is a worldwide acceleration in the CO2 concentration growth despite the international efforts on the reduction of global anthropogenic emissions.