Atmospheric Concentration of CO2
As a result of the increasing emissions of
the man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) CO2,
concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere keep
going up. The concentration is now slightly above 370 ppmv
(parts per million volume). There is a seasonal variation of
the increase due to increased uptake of CO2 in
the Northern Hemisphere during spring. There is no similar
uptake in the Southern Hemisphere as most of the earth's
land area is in the Northern Hemisphere. The concentrations
tend to be highest at northern latitudes (where most of the
emissions come from) and somewhat lower in the south. Within
6 months to a year the concentrations tend to even out all
over the globe. This means the emissions are global, i.e.
CO2 is a global and long-lived gas that spreads all over the
globe
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