Global Carbon Dioxide: 2020-2021

This video shows the accumulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) during a single calendar year. Every year, the world’s vegetation and ocean absorb about half of human-caused CO2 emissions, slowing the rate of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere.

However, around 2.5 parts per million (ppm) remain in the atmosphere every year, causing a steady rise in concentrations that scientists have been tracking since the 1950s, at surface stations. (The term "parts per million" refers to the number of carbon dioxide molecules per million molecules of dry air.)

The visualization starts in June 2020, showing all of the model’s values of global CO2. (All 3D cells of the model are opaque, revealing a solid brick of data.) During this month, the higher values of CO2 coalesce around the "equatorial belt."

By mid-July 2020, CO2 values between 385 ppm and 405 ppm in the atmosphere become transparent. These lower values tend to be higher in the atmosphere. By visualizing the data like this, the higher CO2 concentrations, which are closer to the ground, are highlighted, revealing the seasonal movement of high CO2 at a global scale.

During the months of June to September (summer months in the Northern Hemisphere), global CO2 concentrations tend to be the lowest, because Northern Hemisphere plants actively absorb CO2 from the atmosphere via photosynthesis, which is the process of turning sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into food (sugars) and oxygen. During Northern Hemisphere fall and winter months, much of the CO2 is re-released into the atmosphere, due to respiration, and can be seen building up.

By June and July 2021, plants again draw CO2 out of the atmosphere, but notably higher amounts remain there in contrast with the previous year. The daily rhythm of CO2 is apparent over our planet's largest forests, such as the Amazon rainforest in South America and the Congo rainforest in Central Africa.

The fast-paced pulse in those rainforests is due to the day-night CO2 cycle: Plants absorb the greenhouse gas during the day via photosynthesis (when the sun is out), and then stop absorbing it at night.

In addition to highlighting the buildup of atmospheric CO2, the video shows how interconnected the world’s greenhouse gas problem is. NASA’s unique combination of observations and models plays a critical role in helping scientists track CO2 increases to better understand their climate impact.

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The visualization was created to support a series of talks from NASA scientists during the United Nations' 26th Conference of Parties (COP26), a climate change event that took place in Glasgow, U.K., from October 31 to November 12, 2021.

Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

[hpmc]

Holy cow, you can literally "see" the amazon sucking up CO2 like an endless sponge.

[buddha]

The rich don’t care, COP 26 proved that.🤷‍♂️🤑🤑🤑🌍🔥

[George.Coleman]

The plants can't keep up anymore with the filtration. This is worrying now.

[JGL]

I hope you saw how CO2 emissions drastically reduced in the summer months in the northern hemisphere, especially by June. What does that mean?
Only about 13% of CO2 is caused by heating fuel (natural gas). Transportation is about 25% and electricity generation is about 23% (we travel more in winter?). The lack of CO2 absorbing vegetation, maybe? If you look at the Brazilian Amazon and the African green belt, you'd almost see it "breathing" in CO2 and exhaling air... and they have no WINTER!

We need to plant more trees!

[thesilentone]

And we still farm none native water intensive and use chemical fertilizers and pesticides and herbicides dont help.
Like if you want to farm something go to the native plants and animals in your state or it will continue on this chemical everything path.

[michaelconnell]

Did anyone notice the difference between the lowest and highest CO2 levels was about 7 part per million? That's it. There using such a fine scale to make it look like massive changes. And why did CO2 levels go up 7 ppm in the northern hemisphere during winter? Because people were keeping themselves from freezing to death!

[EnigMajicc]

Making me wanna move from the US to Australia

[terenceiutzi]

In 1995, I could look at the atmosphereic CO2 concentration at 200 different observatories around the world online now, the only one you can access is the one at Monalua that has always been the highest. What are they hiding?

[julioalfonsomartinezmolina]

Dificil situación actual, debemos proponer soluciones reales y efectivas entre todos.

[zeph]

Yes, yes, yes....but smoking cigarettes is BAD for you!

[Seedyrom]

Quick! Take plastic straws away from Aussies! They are obviously the cause of this. - Australian Government, 2022.

[Aristotteles]

Eindrücklich, aber auch schrecklich. Ich höre glaub auf zu atmen. Wenn das nur gut kommt. Alle die können ab auf's Fahrrad.😵

[jixkon]

the only best way to save climate change is to go on lockdown again? i wouldn't mind working from home 😅

[mattdorsey]

The earth is in a CO2 drought. I do everything I can to increase CO2 output as everyone should. Do your part to make our planet greener and more comfortable. Consider driving somewhere just for the heck of it. It's really that easy.

[Sceince_Vedas_are_the_Universe]

1:10 India is most unpoluted country in the Northern Hemisphere 🙂🙂🇮🇳🇮🇳.

[Sceince_Vedas_are_the_Universe]

India is most unpoluted country in Northern Hemisphere 🙂🙂.

[RickMcCargar]

All those involved in the conspiracy to seize control of energy and our lives via climate alarmism, belong in prison. That's the best outcome they should expect.