SCIENCE MONDAY SERIES:
AN EASY WAY OF EXPLAINING WHAT COULD BE A COMPLICATED ISSUE
The Keeling Curve is a measurement of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, illustrating their dramatic rise since the conception of the project in 1958. This project was started in Mauna Loa, Hawaii by a scientist named Charles David Keeling. Keeling measured atmospheric carbon dioxide until his death in 2005, after which his son continued the project. The Keeling Curve is one of the most comprehensive, long-standing, and convincing representations of climate change, as it shows a yearly increase in global carbon dioxide levels. When compared with historical carbon dioxide levels from ice cores, the Keeling Curve provides convincing evidence that the carbon dioxide levels of the twenty-first century are both unprecedented and anthropogenic in nature. The Keeling Curve also captures seasonal variations in carbon dioxide levels, as seen by the peaks and troughs represented in the graph. Taken together, the Keeling Curve is one of the most comprehensive illustrations of a changing planet.
