The monthly average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere measured at Mauna Loa Observatory in March showed a record 12-month increase, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced Wednesday.
Located 11,135 feet above sea level on the Big Island of Hawaii, the observatory conducts the official measurements for the Keeling Curve, which has tracked the increase in carbon dioxide levels since 1958.
“We sadly continue to break records in the CO2 rise rate,” said Ralph Keeling, director of the CO2 program at Scripps. “The ultimate reason is continued global growth in the consumption of fossil fuels.”
Keeling is the son of Charles Keeling, began the measurements and received the National Science Medal from President George W. Bush for his groundbreaking climate work.
The reading at the observatory in March was 4.7 parts per million higher than that recorded in March 2023. The previous record jump was 4.1 parts per million from June 2015 to June 2016, when strong El Niño conditions influenced global weather patterns.
The current level of over 426 parts per million is over a third higher than when measurements began 65 years ago.
Scientists are concerned about the increase in CO2 because it is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
“This recent surge shows how far we still need to go to stabilize the climate system,” said Keeling. “Stabilization will require that CO2 levels start to fall. Instead, CO2 is rising faster than ever.”