Cape Grim, Tasmania, Records Atmospheric CO2 Above 400 ppm For First Time Ever
A significant marker of rising global greenhouse gas emissions has been passed, with a key monitoring site on Tasmania's north-west tip recording atmospheric carbon-dioxide exceeding 400 parts per million for the first time.
As foreshadowed by Fairfax Media last week, a baseline reading at the Cape Grim station that exceeded the 400-ppm mark of the primary gas driving global warming was imminent.
Cape Grim, one of the world's most important monitoring stations for gauging changes in the atmosphere. Photo: Auscape
As it turned out, "the unfortunate milestone" was reached on Tuesday May 10 at 8am, local time, said Paul Krummel, who heads the CSIRO team analysing data from the most important site in the southern hemisphere. (See chart below.)
"It's a bit sooner than we expected," Mr Krummel told Fairfax Media. "It just rocketed up there."
EDIT
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/confirmed-southern-hemisphere-co2-level-rises-above-symbolic-400-ppm-milestone-20160515-govfq7.html