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Interannual variation of atmospheric CO2 concentration

  • Scientific Application of Baseline Observations of a Atmospheric Composition (SABOAC) Part 2
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Abstract

A method is described for the analysis of the interannual variability of background atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. The analysis is carried out on the data from 6 observatories for which records of >8 years were available.

A global-scale interannual variation of CO2 concentration in the troposphere with a characteristic time-scale of 2–3 years has been confirmed throughout the period of the records. These variations are estimated to be associated with carbon cycle imbalances of 2–3 Gt or annual net exchanges between the atmosphere and another carbon reservoir(s) at a rate of about 1.2 Gt of carbon per year. Lag correlations and amplitude comparisons between the records suggests a low latitude southern hemisphere origin to this phenomenon.

The interannual variations of CO2 increase are found to be correlated with those observed in data for Pacific sea surface temperatures and Pacific witd stress, the Southern Oscillation Index and the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation. However multiple regression studies found that once the Southern Oscillation index is used as an explanatory variable for CO2 variations, the inclusion of additional geophysical variables does not give any significant improvement in the regression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Atmospheric Research, CSIRO, Private Bag No. 1, 3195, Mordialloc, Australia

    I. G. Enting, G. I. Pearman & P. Hyson

  2. Division of Mathematics and Statistics, CSIRO, Private Bag No. 10, 3168, Clayton, Australia

    M. L. Thompson

  3. Department of Statistics, University of Capetown, South Africa

    M. L. Thompson

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  1. M. L. Thompson
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  2. I. G. Enting
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  3. G. I. Pearman
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  4. P. Hyson
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Thompson, M.L., Enting, I.G., Pearman, G.I. et al. Interannual variation of atmospheric CO2 concentration. J Atmos Chem 4, 125–155 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00053775

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