Current Carbon dioxide levels highest in past 2.1m years

Times of India , Friday, June 19, 2009
Correspondent : PTI
NEW YORK: Present day carbon dioxide levels in atmosphere have touched the highest mark in the past 2.1 million years which may result in large scale climatic changes from greenhouse effect, says a study.

The study published in today's edition of journal 'Science' says the present levels of carbon dioxide are 38% higher than the levels that hovered around 280 parts per million during last 2.1 million years.

The researchers from Columbia University say that estimation of atmospheric carbon dioxide for the period will give an insight in the cooling and warming cycles of planet earth.

Carbon dioxide is a principal green house gas which traps the warm infrared rays coming from the Sun and blocks them from being reflected again in the space by the earth's surface.

This helps in maintaining adequate temperature on earth but its rapid increase emanating from human activities like vehicles, factories etc is increasing temperature to an extent that large scale climate change is becoming inevitable.

Through the analysis of carbon dioxide, scientists helped them rule out that dip in gas levels was the factor for ice ages growing longer and more intense some 8.5 lakh years ago.

 
SOURCE : Friday, June 19, 2009
 


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