CO2 variation
Atmospheric carbon dioxide changes with time of day, time of year, with weather events, and of course is currently on
the rise, globally. The tutorial will help you understand the observed variation on a local, regional and global scale.
Below you will find some snapshots of graphs to help illustrate the said variation.
Daily Variation. One week of data showing the daily increase and decrease
in carbon dioxide concentration.
Yearly Variation. Several years of data showing the annual increase and decrease
in carbon dioxide concentration.
Weather Variation. One month of data showing the the influence of weather events on
the carbon dioxide concentration. Windy events are generally characterized by lower and steady
concerntrations. Winter inversions typically have wide fluctuations with a climbing baseline.
Cloud-top inversions will have a higher concentration that remains reasonably constant; these events
are generally well mixed (slight wind) below the cloud layer.
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