One of the major drivers of the exceptional heat building within Earth's atmosphere has reached levels beyond anything humans have ever experienced, officials announced on Thursday.
The researchers measured carbon dioxide, or CO2, levels at the Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory.
This graph shows the full record of monthly mean carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii.
The carbon dioxide data on Mauna Loa constitute the longest record of direct measurements of CO2 in the atmosphere.
"Each year achieves a higher maximum due to fossil-fuel burning, which releases pollution in the form of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide "acts like a blanket in the atmosphere," NOAA explained — much like other greenhouse gases that amplify the sun's heat toward Earth's surface.
And while carbon dioxide is essential in keeping global temperatures above freezing, having such high concentrations shoots temperatures beyond levels of comfort and safety. »
