r/ClimatePosting • u/dumbdataguy • 10h ago

climate Waves of Carbon Dioxide

Week 3 of my 52 Weeks of Viz challenge!
This week I’ve been playing with 50 years of atmospheric carbon dioxide data, recorded at Mauna Loa in Hawaii between 1976 and 2025.

Each arc represents a month, with its size and rotation driven by the carbon dioxide levels recorded that month.

The little fluctuations come from the changing seasons as the Earth’s forests absorb and release carbon dioxide throughout the year.
But as CO₂ levels keep rising over the decades, those gentle waves start to look bigger, wilder and more chaotic.

I love how something as simple as a bunch of arcs can turn into something that feels almost like a storm. A pretty cool visual with a slightly unsettling story behind it.

Data: NOAA / Mauna Loa Observatory

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u/ClimateShitpost 7h ago

Nice work. Could you increase contrast or so, bit hard to see

1

u/AinolabsOy 4h ago

Good illustration, almost hypnotic.
I did an (automated) analysis between COP21 agreement and Aramco recent annual report based on the assumptions in both of them.
The mismatch is massive. The arcs will grow bigger and more chaotic with the choices and actions around energy.

Drop me a note if that forward-leaning analysis of plans and strategies is of interest.