4 ms·
How did we measure CO2 accurately pre-industry? Isn't the rise of industry kind of coincident with the ability to measure gases accurately? And if the trend as
by robxorb 2y ago
How did we measure CO2 accurately pre-industry? Isn't the rise of industry kind of coincident with the ability to measure gases accurately? And if the trend as accuracy increased was up, wouldn't it suggest initial underestimates?
Or is there some reliable way we can measure in retrospect?
- leptons 2y agoSometimes air gets trapped in unusual places. When these types of things are found, that air can be tested with modern equipment. "Ancient air pockets changing the history of Earth’s oxygen" https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160822174234.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160822174234.h...
- robxorb 2y agoThanks, though that study makes no mention of CO2, and concerns instead oxygen from 500m, to 1b years ago, which seems a little far off to be applicable to the order of the around one hundred and fifty years ago being asked about. Have I missed something?
- leptons 2y agoMy comment only explains how it's done. I'm sure you can understand that the article I mentioned was just an example. If you're looking for a specific CO2 measurement from air captured exactly one hundred and fifty years ago, I'll leave you to Google that yourself.
- robxorb 2y agoWell, here's the only solid thing with referenced figures that came up. Chart on page one is quite the ride, as I'd have expected for early science: https://21sci-tech.com/Subscriptions/Spring%202008%20ONLINE/CO2_chemical.pdf https://21sci-tech.com/Subscriptions/Spring%202008%20ONLINE/... Everything else I found was unfortunately hand-wavy "scientific consensus says" and the ubiquitous "280ppm" coupled with "pre-industrial" repeated again without reference, nor apparent empirical basis. Not convincing, which for "the science is settled" I'd expect a bit of a higher standard.