Global CO2 Atmospheric Concentration
Data, Graphs, and Maps
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Our World in Data
What it is
- This interactive line graph, map, and data table show the global annual concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere over time.
- The line graph can be interacted with to compare these parameters for any country or continent.
- The map and graph can be adjusted for various time periods or set to play as a time lapse.
Teaching tips
Positives
- Hovering over individual countries on the map will show a small graph for that country's emissions over time.
- The graph, map, and table can be downloaded for use offline.
Additional Prerequisites
- Educators should familiarize themselves with this resource before sharing it with students.
Differentiation
- Explore the graph with students by adding in and subtracting various countries to see how their emissions over time have changed and how they compare to others and the total for the world.
- To focus on the progress being made on lowering emissions, try looking at countries like the United States that have lowered their emissions over the last 20 years.
- Math classes can use the line graph to calculate the rate of change in atmospheric CO2 concentrations between 1822 and 1922. Then students can calculate the rate of change between 1922 and 2022.
From the scientist review
This resource presents time series data on average atmospheric CO2 within a variable time span. Students will be able to explore the historical changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration within a global coverage. The resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on ourworldindata.org
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