No Rise of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Fraction in Past 160 Years, New Research Finds

ScienceDaily ^ | Dec. 31, 2009 | staff

[saganite]

Most of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity does not remain in the atmosphere, but is instead absorbed by the oceans and terrestrial ecosystems. In fact, only about 45 percent of emitted carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere. However, some studies have suggested that the ability of oceans and plants to absorb carbon dioxide recently may have begun to decline and that the airborne fraction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions is therefore beginning to increase.

snip

To assess whether the airborne fraction is indeed increasing, Wolfgang Knorr of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol reanalyzed available atmospheric carbon dioxide and emissions data since 1850 and considers the uncertainties in the data.

In contradiction to some recent studies, he finds that the airborne fraction of carbon dioxide has not increased either during the past 150 years or during the most recent five decades.

[saganite]

Here’s an article you might be interested in at a NYT environment blog. Basically, it says arctic sea ice is in a recovery phase due to naturally occurring climate cycles. The comments at the bottom are even more interesting than the article.

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/polar-pressure-snow-storms-and-sea-ice/

[palmer]

Thanks for the link. Both the article and comments were interesting. Andy Revkin seems putting some effort into balance. I asked him about that on another blog and he responded with a good example of balance. I suspect that he realizes that he has not always emailed the skeptics as often as he should have in the past to get their side. Hopefully he will keep it up.

[neverdem]

You might be interested in this press release from ScienceDaily which links the abstract.

This link, Greenhouse Gas Observatories Downwind from Erupting Volcanoes, claims

The U.S. NOAA openly admits to producing a CO2 record which "contains no actual data."

Happy New Year!

[skeptoid]

-.. . . if the fraction decreased by 5% during the first 100 years of that 150 years and then increased by 1% during the last 50 years of that 150 years, wouldn't you have a situation where the fraction has not increased in the last 150 years, but HAS increased in the last 50? .....

Yes, I was wrong in my statement;  the fraction could indeed have remained constant or decreased over the last 150 years, but increased during the last 50 years.


I opined in haste.

You see, I  was startled by what I thought was a snake in the grass in the form of a hockey stick, and I lashed out in reactionary fear and disgust.  (I also shout epithets at newscasts and liberals on C-SPAN)

I despise hockey sticks.

 

[skeptoid]

.. . . if the fraction decreased by 5% during the first 100 years of that 150 years and then increased by 1% during the last 50 years of that 150 years, wouldn't you have a situation
where the fraction has not increased in the last 150 years, but HAS increased in the last 50?

Yes, I was wrong in my statement; the fraction could indeed have remained constant or decreased over the last 150 years,
but increased during the last 50 years.

I opined in haste.

You see, I was startled by what I thought was a snake in the grass in the form of a hockey stick, and I lashed out in reactionary fear and disgust.
(I also shout epithets at newscasts and liberals on C-SPAN)

I despise hockey sticks.

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[Ole Okie]

even Sarah P caves . . .

I thought you were giving her a title.

Like Sarah the First, Regina.