Long-Term Observation Insights
The Keeling Curve Foundation provides Insights into long-term observations (LTOs). Read on to learn more about applications of LTOs in various fields of cutting-edge research, their contribution to permanent earth-based datasets that reveal changes over time, and their use in climate solutions and policy.
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View our most recent LTO Insights below
Coupling Historical Proxy Data with Instrumental Records in the Great Barrier Reef Reveals Highest Ocean Heat in 400 Years | Henley et al. 2024
The recent paper by Henley et al. 2024 provides a comprehensive analysis of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Coral Sea over the past four centuries, highlighting the unprecedented ocean heat levels recorded in recent years. The study, widely featured across news headlines in August 2024, utilized a combination of instrumental SST observations and coral-derived temperature proxy data to reconstruct historical SSTs from 1618 to 1995. The findings reveal that the January - March Coral Sea heat extremes in 2024, 2017, and 2020 (in order of descending average SST anomalies) were the highest in the 400-year record, surpassing the 95th-percentile uncertainty limit of pre-1900 temperature reconstructions.
The Critical Role of Long-Term Environmental Studies in Informing Policy | Hughes et al. 2017
Long-term ecological and environmental studies (LTEES) play a crucial role in informing environmental policy decisions. The analysis by Hughes et al. (2017) highlights the disproportionate representation and value placed on LTEES in reports written to guide policy making compared to their representation in the general scientific literature.
Establishing an Evidentiary Basis for Nature-Based Climate Solutions | Novick et al. 2024
Nature-based climate solutions (NbCS) are considered an important component of the world’s response to our climate crisis. Nations, corporations, and nonprofits are increasingly investing in NbCS. Yet a critical challenge has emerged – how do we rigorously quantify and verify their long-term climate mitigation potential?
Protecting Long-Term Datasets with World Heritage Status | Rosi et al. 2022, 2023
Long-term environmental datasets, such as the Keeling curve of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations or cherry blossom dates in Kyoto, are invaluable for documenting our changing planet and the impact of human activity on the biosphere. However, the future of many such datasets is precarious. Their continuation is often dependent on unpredictable factors such as funding cycles, shifts in funding priorities, or chance events.