State of Our Climate
Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations
Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations
Scripps daily CO2
CO2 equivalent
Atmospheric GHG concentrations all together are expressed as CO2 equivalent. It tells us we are 'committed' (locked in) to a higher warming than at present. Radiative (hear) forcing is derived from CO2 eq.
Atmospheric GHG concentrations all together are expressed as CO2 equivalent. It tells us we are 'committed' (locked in) to a higher warming than at present. Radiative (hear) forcing is derived from CO2 eq.
Atmospheric CO2 Dec. 2023 422.46 ppm
800,000-year
ice core limits
ice core limits
CO2: 300 ppm
methane: 800 ppb
nitrous oxide: 300 ppb
methane: 800 ppb
nitrous oxide: 300 ppb
Dec. 2023
CO2: 422.48 ppm
methane: 1,920 ppb
nitrous oxide: 336 ppb
(NOAA)
methane: 1,920 ppb
nitrous oxide: 336 ppb
(NOAA)
Pre-industrial levels
CO2: 278 ppm
methane: 722 ppb
nitrous oxide: 270 ppb
methane: 722 ppb
nitrous oxide: 270 ppb
CO2 equivalant
(all GHGs)
(all GHGs)
May 2023
523 ppm (CO2 eq.)
NOAA GHG Index
523 ppm (CO2 eq.)
NOAA GHG Index
All three atmospheric GHGs are record high increasing at record rates, methane explosively
Past 800,000 yrs
Past 2,000 yrs
From 1800
Past 2,000 yrs
From 1800
(seasonally adjusted mean)
Atmospheric methane. April 2023 1920 ppb
Nitrous oxide March 2023 336 ppb
52% increase
266% increase
Explosive increase since 2019
Explosive increase since 2019
WMO annual GHG Bulletin
The (accelerating) concentration of all atmospheric greenhouse gases combined (CO2 equivalent) constitute a full long term equilibrium warming of over 2.5°C (Constant composition commitment)
There will be additional warming from the many large planetary feedback sources (like wetlands and permafrost)- not included in IPCC projections.
There will be additional warming due to reduced efficiency of the land (forest) and ocean carbon sinks that have had the effect of buffering the warming by about 50%.
Another source of extra warming results from fossil fuel emission air pollution aerosol cooling, a hidden source of warming unmasked with termination of fossil fuel energy. Recent air quality measures have reduced the aerosols.
There will be additional warming from the many large planetary feedback sources (like wetlands and permafrost)- not included in IPCC projections.
There will be additional warming due to reduced efficiency of the land (forest) and ocean carbon sinks that have had the effect of buffering the warming by about 50%.
Another source of extra warming results from fossil fuel emission air pollution aerosol cooling, a hidden source of warming unmasked with termination of fossil fuel energy. Recent air quality measures have reduced the aerosols.