Before the Industrial Revolution,the concentration of CO₂ in Earth's atmosphere was 265 parts per million (ppm).At the end of 2012,the concentration was 393 parts per million.Given the correlation of atmospheric CO₂ concentration with global temperature rise,what does this change suggest about the global carbon budget? A) It is balanced;CO₂ concentration is not related to the global carbon budget. B) It is balanced;rises in CO₂ concentrations measured in ppm will have no effect. C) It is unbalanced;CO₂ is entering the atmosphere much faster than it can be removed. D) It is unbalanced;CO₂ is being removed from the atmosphere much faster than it can enter. E) It is unbalanced,but the imbalance is insignificant because the tiny CO₂ concentrations will have no effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration suggests that more CO2 is being added to the atmosphere than can be removed, indicating an unbalanced carbon budget. This is supported by the correlation between CO2 concentration and global temperature rise, which indicates that the increase in CO2 concentration is contributing to climate change.

Before the Industrial Revolution,the Concentration of CO2 in Earth's Atmosphere

Before the Industrial Revolution,the Concentration of CO₂ in Earth's Atmosphere