Climate Report for December 2023.

Today is Wednesday 20th December 2023. The Global Monitoring Laboratory of the US NOAA reports that atmospheric CO2 averaged 420.46 ppm in November of this year, compared to 417.47 ppm in November 2022, an increase of 2.99 ppm, or 0.716% p.a.

The daily means for the past twelve days (inclusive of this one) can be found at NOAA, or here: for the 9th: 421.31 ppm; for the 10th: 421.56; the 11th: 421.66; the 12th: 421.99; the 13th: 421.78; the 14th: 421.8; the 15th: 423.38; the 16th: 423.21; the 17th: 422.67; the 18th: 422.38; the 19th: 422.03; and the 20th: 421.94. The average for those twelve days is 422.1425 ppm.

The Keeling Curve's atmospheric CO2 level reading for yesterday, the 19th December, was 421.58 ppm. The difference of 0.45 ppm between that reading and the one provided by the NOAA can, perhaps, be accounted for if the two figures are translated into milligrammes per cubic metre (mg/m^3): 422.03 ppm = 817.8 mg/m^3; 421.58 ppm = 816.9 mg/m^3, a difference of just 0.9 mg/m^3.

CO2 Earth informs us that the atmospheric CO2 level back in November 2021 was 414.97 ppm, meaning the increase from November 2021-November 2023 was 5.49 ppm, or ~1.323%, about 0.66% p.a. They also inform us that the global surface temperature was the warmest for the month since 1880, and 1.69°C above the average November temperatures for the reference period, 1880-1920.

This point is reiterated by what Copernicus have to say, not only about the month, but about 2023 as a whole.

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