CSIRO High-precision Measurement of Atmospheric CO2 Concentration in Australia. Part 1: Initial Motivation, Techniques and Aircraft Sampling

Abstract

The potential for carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere to influence global surface temperatures was first recognized in the mid-nineteenth century. Even so, high-precision measurements of atmospheric CO2 concentration were not commenced until the International Geophysical Year (1957–8), following concerns of the climatic impact of increased use of fossil fuels and the concomitant release of CO2 into the atmosphere. In Australia, an early (1960s–70s) interest in the high-precision measurement of CO2 concentration was stimulated by a study of the photosynthesis and respiration of awheat crop. This study conducted in north-easternVictoria during 19717–2 led two young CSIRO scientists, J. R. G..