Seasonal Variations in Carbon Dioxide Levels in Earth’s Atmosphere
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The carbon dioxide levels in earth’s atmosphere changes during a year with seasons. In fall, in several regions, the leaves of the tree fall and there is less greenery to remove the CO2 from the atmosphere. However, in spring, the leaves grow back and CO2 levels drop since the trees can absorb more carbon dioxide. There is more land mass and more sources of CO2 emissions in the northern hemisphere. North America, Europe, and Asia are major sources of CO2 emissions in northern hemisphere. Winds carry CO2 generated from one source to other places on earth.
Since seasons in the two hemispheres are different, the CO2 levels of the two hemispheres vary differently during a year. Over and above the seasonal variations of CO2 levels, there is an increasing trend of CO2 in earth’s atmosphere, year over year. The following video from NASA shows the variations in CO2 in earth’s atmosphere during the year 2006.
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