Atmospheric carbon dioxide to pass iconic threshold
In 2021, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will reach levels 50% higher than before the industrial revolution, due to human-caused emissions, says a Met Office forecast.
The Met Office predicts that annual average CO2 concentration at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, will be 2.29?± 0.55?parts per million (ppm) higher in 2021?than in 2020. This rise is driven by emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation, but will be slightly smaller than usual due to a temporary strengthening of natural carbon sinks. Weather patterns linked to the current La Niña event are expected to promote a temporary burst of growth in tropical forests that soak up some of humanity’s emissions.
Despite these La Niña-related effects, CO2 will still continue to build up in the atmosphere, and will exceed 417 ppm for several weeks from April to June. This is 50% higher than the level of 278 ppm in the late Eighteenth Century when widespread industrial activity began.
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