1. See also: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/examples/co2.html

3. Objective of Activity:
• Students will be able to use real CO2 data to
measure rates of CO2 increase over time.
Background Information:
• CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) is a trace greenhouse gas that is
strongly correlated with global temperatures … the more
CO2 in the atmosphere, the warmer Earth’s atmosphere
and surface become because of the ability of CO2 to
absorb some of Earth’s outgoing infrared radiation.
• The slope of a line in a graph is the ratio of the rise (the Y-
axis) over the run (the X-axis), and has units of the rise
axis over the run axis. For example, if a graph has time
(hours) as the X-axis and distance (miles) as the Y-axis,
then a line will have slope of miles/hour, or speed.

4. Overview of the Activity:
• Student groups plot 8 CO2 values from Mauna
Loa, HI, from 2005 to 2011 on a graph provided,
using randomly selected data on next slide.
• Today you will each plot one of 38 randomly
selected data points from this data set.
• As a group we will estimate the slope (rate) of the
best line through our 31 data points.
• (Students calculate the # of years for CO2 levels to
double at the rate they’ve found.)
• (Students learn about incomplete data.)

5. Online Workshop 11 May 2012: Mauna Loa Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations in parts per million (ppm)
31 Groups of 8 randomly selected 2005-11 data; Source http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/data/in_situ_co2/monthly_mlo.csv
G = Group #; D1 = Date (M/Y) of 1st observation; V1 = Value of CO2 concentration on that date; etc.
G D1 V1 D2 V2 D3 V3 D4 V4 D5 V5 D6 V6 D7 V7 D8 V8
1 4/06 384.4 5/06 384.9 11/06 380.2 12/07 383.7 4/10 392.5 6/10 392.3 8/10 388.5 12/11 391.8
2 7/05 380.7 5/06 384.9 6/07 385.9 6/08 387.9 2/09 387.2 2/10 390.0 8/10 388.5 5/11 394.3
3 4/05 382.1 4/06 384.4 1/08 385.0 6/08 387.9 11/08 384.1 3/10 391.0 5/10 393.2 8/11 390.2
4 10/07 380.9 5/08 388.5 8/08 384.2 10/09 384.3 12/10 389.9 7/11 392.6 9/11 388.9 12/11 391.8
5 8/06 380.5 10/07 380.9 9/08 383.0 11/08 384.1 12/09 387.4 4/10 392.5 9/11 388.9 12/11 391.8
6 5/05 382.2 10/05 376.8 2/07 383.7 9/08 383.0 10/08 382.8 1/09 386.7 4/11 393.5 9/11 388.9
7 2/05 379.7 12/05 380.0 10/06 379.1 1/08 385.0 5/08 388.5 10/08 382.8 12/09 387.4 8/10 388.5
8 3/06 382.6 5/06 384.9 12/06 381.7 4/07 386.2 8/07 381.8 4/08 386.8 8/09 386.1 2/11 391.9
9 4/06 384.4 8/07 381.8 10/07 380.9 11/07 382.4 4/09 389.5 11/10 388.6 2/11 391.9 10/11 388.9
10 5/07 386.4 1/08 385.0 4/08 386.8 3/09 388.6 11/09 386.0 6/10 392.3 9/10 386.8 4/11 393.5
11 6/05 382.1 8/05 378.7 4/06 384.4 3/07 384.3 8/07 381.8 10/08 382.8 2/10 390.0 9/11 388.9
12 1/05 378.3 3/05 380.4 11/05 378.3 6/06 384.1 3/08 385.9 6/09 389.6 2/10 390.0 5/11 394.3
13 5/05 382.2 8/05 378.7 9/06 378.8 6/07 385.9 1/08 385.0 2/09 387.2 6/10 392.3 11/10 388.6
14 7/06 382.4 8/06 380.5 6/07 385.9 6/08 387.9 10/08 382.8 5/10 393.2 1/11 391.3 9/11 388.9
15 2/06 382.0 1/08 385.0 3/08 385.9 1/09 386.7 6/09 389.6 1/10 388.6 3/11 392.3 6/11 393.7
16 4/06 384.4 4/07 386.2 10/07 380.9 5/09 390.2 6/09 389.6 8/10 388.5 11/11 390.3 12/11 391.8
17 2/05 379.7 10/05 376.8 11/05 378.3 8/06 380.5 11/07 382.4 11/08 384.1 4/09 389.5 3/11 392.3
18 4/05 382.1 11/05 378.3 6/06 384.1 7/07 384.4 2/08 385.9 4/08 386.8 12/10 389.9 9/11 388.9
19 12/05 380.0 12/06 381.7 4/09 389.5 10/09 384.3 11/09 386.0 4/11 393.5 5/11 394.3 11/11 390.3
20 2/06 382.0 5/06 384.9 6/07 385.9 12/07 383.7 5/09 390.2 3/10 391.0 4/10 392.5 9/10 386.8
21 6/05 382.1 2/06 382.0 6/08 387.9 3/10 391.0 4/10 392.5 8/10 388.5 10/10 387.2 8/11 390.2
22 3/05 380.4 3/08 385.9 1/09 386.7 4/09 389.5 11/10 388.6 12/10 389.9 4/11 393.5 7/11 392.6
23 4/05 382.1 1/06 381.4 2/06 382.0 10/06 379.1 11/07 382.4 3/09 388.6 3/10 391.0 3/11 392.3
24 8/05 378.7 3/06 382.6 4/06 384.4 4/07 386.2 9/07 380.9 10/07 380.9 11/07 382.4 4/09 389.5
25 8/06 380.5 1/07 382.5 2/07 383.7 4/07 386.2 11/09 386.0 3/10 391.0 5/10 393.2 10/10 387.2
26 8/06 380.5 11/06 380.2 4/07 386.2 8/08 384.2 11/08 384.1 10/09 384.3 9/10 386.8 10/10 387.2
27 8/06 380.5 9/07 380.9 3/08 385.9 9/08 383.0 10/08 382.8 4/10 392.5 11/11 390.3 12/11 391.8
28 1/05 378.3 5/05 382.2 11/07 382.4 3/09 388.6 4/10 392.5 1/11 391.3 7/11 392.6 12/11 391.8
29 9/05 376.4 6/06 384.1 7/06 382.4 4/07 386.2 5/07 386.4 10/08 382.8 3/10 391.0 10/10 387.2
30 6/07 385.9 10/08 382.8 11/08 384.1 5/09 390.2 3/10 391.0 7/10 390.5 3/11 392.3 9/11 388.9
31 3/05 380.4 11/05 378.3 7/07 384.4 11/07 382.4 2/10 390.0 3/10 391.0 6/10 392.3 10/10 387.2

6. Data
Points 395
394
393
392
391
390
389
CO2 Concentration (ppm)
388
387
386
385
384
383
382
381
380
379
378
377 Slope = ______ ppm
376
375
July
July
July
July
July
July
July
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

7. Group # __1__
395
394 393.4
393
392
391 Slope =
390
(393.4-378.0)
389
(2010-2003)
= 15.4/7
CO2 Concentration (ppm)
388
387 = 2.2
386
385
384
383
382
381
380
379
378
378.0 377
Slope = _2.2_ ppm
376
375
July
July
July
July
July
July
July
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

8. Sharing your results:
• Hopefully you were able to plot your data points
…. 
• Did the data set we plotted look very noisy?
• Any ideas why?
• (Incomplete data …)
• Let’s look at the data sets a little more closely …

9. Keeling Mauna Loa CO2 Data (2005-2011): Group 1
395
390
Carbon Dioxide in ppm
385
380
375
Jan-05 Jan-06 Jan-07 Jan-08 Jan-09 Jan-10 Jan-11

10. Keeling Mauna Loa CO2 Data (2005-2011): Groups 1-4
395
390
Carbon Dioxide in ppm
385
380
375
Jan-05 Jan-06 Jan-07 Jan-08 Jan-09 Jan-10 Jan-11

11. Keeling Mauna Loa CO2 Data (2005-2011): Groups 1-31
395
390
Carbon Dioxide in ppm
385
380
375
Jan-05 Jan-06 Jan-07 Jan-08 Jan-09 Jan-10 Jan-11

12. Keeling Mauna Loa CO2 Data (2005-2011): 38 Random Points
395
390
Carbon Dioxide in ppm
385
380
375
Jan-05 Jan-06 Jan-07 Jan-08 Jan-09 Jan-10 Jan-11

13. http://bluemoon.ucsd.edu/pub/cdrg/continuous/monthly_mlo.csv
Keeling Mauna Loa CO2 Data (1958-2011): All Data
400
390
380
Carbon Dioxide in ppm
370
360
350
340
330
320
310
300
Jan-58 Jan-68 Jan-78 Jan-88 Jan-98 Jan-08