Atmospheric carbon dioxide records from sites in the NOAA/CMDL air sampling network

SOUTH POLE

Trends

The CMDL sampling site at Amundsen Scott is operated in cooperation with the National Science Foundation. The annual atmospheric CO₂ mixing ratio calculated from NOAA/CMDL flask data obtained at Amundsen Scott show an increase in the annual value from 329.4 parts per million (ppm) in 1975 to 354.1 ppm in 1992, or 1.45 ppm per year. Conway et al. (1994) reported a 1.43-ppm mean annual growth rate for all the NOAA/CMDL flask-sampling sites during 1981-92.

Atmospheric CO₂ mixing ratios at this South Pole site show a seasonal pattern: the annual drawdown typically occurs in December-January, and the annual buildup occurs in June-July. Conway et al. (1994) reported that the peak-to-peak seasonal amplitude for Amundsen Scott was 1.2 ppm for 1981-92.

South Pole, Antarctica
Ice and snow-covered plateau
89°59' S, 24°48' W
2810 m above MSL

South Pole Graph

Monthly atmospheric CO₂ mixing ratios at the South Pole.

South Pole Table

CO₂ mixing ratios at the South Pole (ppm)

Access to Digital Data

Station "C" Trends

References

Methods

CITE AS: Conway, T.J., P.P. Tans, and L.S. Waterman. 1994. Atmospheric CO₂ records from sites in the NOAA/CMDL air sampling network. In T.A. Boden, D.P. Kaiser, R.J. Sepanski, and F.W. Stoss (eds.), Trends '93: A Compendium of Data on Global Change. ORNL/CDIAC-65. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., U.S.A.

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Date revised 4/10/95 (gg)