Co2 breaks records for last 650,000 years.

Rise in Greenhouse Gases, Co2 and Methane Highest in last 650,000 years

Present Concentration of Greenhouse gases, Carbon Dioxide and methane in atmospheric levels is highest in last 650,000 years, reported by team of scientists working with European project for Ice coring in Antarctica (EPICA).

Co2 and Methane Max in last 650,000 years

Researchers in Antarctica cataloguing atmospheric conditions going back 900,000 years in time for last 5 years. Researchers upon compiling these logs revealed the rise of greenhouse gases in atmosphere is exceptional and nothing to do with the natural variations observed in last 900,000 years. Their reports are based on studies over gas bubbles trapped in ice 3km below the surface revealing atmospheric conditions for last eight ice ages.

Comparisons of current peaks in the greenhouse gases with those from the last 900,000 years conclude highest ever peaks of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The present levels for CO2 is about 30% higher than anytime and for methane 130% higher than anytime in last 650,00 years. The rate of increase for CO2 is also very high, nearly 200 times faster than anytime in last 650,000 years.

Rise in Greenhouse gases not natural

The burning of fossil fuels in the industrial era has pushed greenhouse-gas levels far beyond their natural fluctuations, says project leader Thomas Stocker from the University of Bern, Switzerland. "This is really something unprecedented," he added. Humans, by releasing fossil fuels from their imprisonment underground, are now adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere on top of those released as part of natural climate cycles.

Research and analysis in near past on global warming suggests levels of several important greenhouse gases have increased by about 25 percent since large-scale industrialisation began around 150 years ago. During the past 20 years, about three-quarters of human-made carbon dioxide emissions were from burning fossil fuels.

Dome Concordia

Evidences of high rise in greenhouse gases comes from an Antarctic region called Dome Concordia (Dome C). EPICA; European Project for Ice coring in Antarctica compiled a historical log of climate changes in at least 5 complete glacial-interglacial cycles (about a million years). These records are obtained by drilling and sampling the ice cores 3200 meters below the surface in Dome C region.

At Dome Concordia, Studies on glacier flow, down-hole temperature and surface snow properties allowed the refining of climatic
interpretations. Another interesting feature of Dome Concordia is the presence of several sub-glacial lakes.

Dome Concordia also known as Dome C now serving a crucial location for scientific research, was originally selected for glaciological reasons: more than 3,000 meters of layered ice, having a great potential for long time climatic reconstruction.

Industrial revolution, CO2 and Global warming

Relationship between human lead generation of CO2 along with other greenhouse gases and climate changes was a issue under debate for long time until recent study revealed contributions of human activities in global warming. Various studies across the world were followed by KOYOTO pact for controlling emissions of greenhouse gases. KOYOTO pact is in effect since February 2005. US who shares 25% of the total emission of CO2 from fossil fuels in the world and Australia are two developed nations still not in agreement with the pact.

Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases generally produce an increase in the average temperature of the Earth. Rising temperatures may, in turn, produce changes in weather, sea levels, and land use patterns, referred to as “climate change.” Until recently it was difficult to establish a definite connection between emission of greenhouse gases by human cause and global warming. Reports from Antarctica will push the debate further in more accurate directions.

United nations climate change conference

News outbreaks as world leaders are attending a United Nations climate change conference in Montreal, Canada, which began on 28 November. Conference Delegates will discuss current efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions, and what plans should follow on from the initial phase of the Kyoto Protocol for emission control of greenhouse gases which ends in 2012.

Detection of Sharp and unnatural rise in Greenhouse gases like Co2 and Methane clearly suggest that the Earth’s climate has warmed over the past century and that human activity affecting the atmosphere is an important driving factor.