Atmospheric CO2 averaged 417.06 ppm in 2022 and reached 419.76 ppm in January 2024 in NOAA’s Mauna Loa record. NOAA also reports that global mean atmospheric CO2 increased by 1.91 ppm in 2022. The carbon budget still shows a persistent gap between fossil emissions and the land and ocean sinks, so atmospheric CO2 keeps rising year after year.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, global atmospheric CO2 averaged 417.06 ppm, up from 316.28 ppm in 1959
- NOAA reports that in 2022 the global mean atmospheric CO2 grew by 1.91 ppm from 2021
- NOAA reports that in 2022 the global mean atmospheric CH4 increased to 1903.0 ppb, which is relevant for carbon cycle context and carbon-related greenhouse forcing
- In 2020, global fossil CO2 emissions were 34.8 GtC (about 12.8 billion tonnes of C)
- In 2022, global fossil CO2 emissions were 36.8 GtC
- In 2023, global fossil CO2 emissions were 36.8 GtC (estimate)
- Land-use change emissions were about 2.4 GtC in 2022 (global annual)
- The Global Carbon Project reports that terrestrial ecosystems are a carbon sink of about 2.8 GtC in 2022
- The Global Carbon Project reports that the ocean is a carbon sink of about 2.4 GtC in 2022
- Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions by sector: in 2022, electricity/heat generation accounted for about 41% of global energy-related CO2 emissions
- Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions: transportation accounted for about 24% of global energy-related CO2 emissions (2022)
- Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions: industry accounted for about 20% of global energy-related CO2 emissions (2022)
- The atomic weight of carbon is 12.01 (relative to 12C)
- Carbon has atomic number 6
- The abundance of carbon in Earth’s crust is about 0.02% by mass (typical)
Global CO2 hit about 417 ppm in 2022, rising steadily despite land and ocean uptake.
Related reading
01 · Category
Atmospheric concentrations and radiative forcing30 stats
01
In 2022, global atmospheric CO2 averaged 417.06 ppm, up from 316.28 ppm in 1959https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
02
NOAA reports that in 2022 the global mean atmospheric CO2 grew by 1.91 ppm from 2021https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
03
NOAA reports that in 2022 the global mean atmospheric CH4 increased to 1903.0 ppb, which is relevant for carbon cycle context and carbon-related greenhouse forcinghttps://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends_ch4/
04
NOAA reports that in 2022 the global mean atmospheric N2O increased to 336.0 ppbhttps://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends_n2o/
05
NASA states CO2 is at 417 parts per million (ppm) as measured by the Mauna Loa Observatory in 2022https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/
06
NASA shows the Mauna Loa CO2 record rising from about 315 ppm in 1959 to over 420 ppm by 2023https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/
07
NOAA’s “Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” shows the global CO2 in January 2024 was 419.76 ppmhttps://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
08
NOAA’s “Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” shows the global CO2 in December 2023 was 419.18 ppmhttps://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
09
NASA states that since 1880, global mean sea level has risen by about 8–9 inches, which is related to carbon-driven climate change impactshttps://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/
10
NOAA reports that the yearly mean global atmospheric CO2 exceeded 410 ppm in 2016https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
11
NOAA reports that the yearly mean global atmospheric CO2 exceeded 415 ppm in 2020https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
12
NOAA reports that the yearly mean global atmospheric CO2 exceeded 416 ppm in 2021https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
13
NOAA reports that the yearly mean global atmospheric CO2 exceeded 417 ppm in 2022https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
14
IPCC AR6 WGI states that global cumulative net anthropogenic CO2 emissions from 1850–1900 to 2010–2019 are about 2400 (range 1950–2850) GtCO2https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
15
IPCC AR6 WGI reports that global warming is strongly driven by cumulative CO2 emissionshttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
16
IPCC AR6 WGI states that anthropogenic CO2 causes about 1.5°C of warming as of 2019 relative to 1850–1900 (with other factors)https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
17
NOAA states that the average annual increase in atmospheric CO2 over the last decade (2013–2022) is about 2.3 ppm per yearhttps://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
18
NOAA states the “current rate of increase” in CO2 is about 2.5 ppm per year (long-term)https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
19
NASA states CO2’s current long-term trend implies it will reach higher concentrations; as an example, it notes 2020–2023 levels around 414–420 ppmhttps://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/
20
NOAA’s Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases page explains that CO2 is the primary driver and records show ongoing increaseshttps://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/
21
WMO states global mean CO2 reached 419.3 ppm in 2023https://wmo.int/publication-series/global-atmosphere-watch-status-report-2023
22
NOAA’s “Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” shows that the annual mean in 2023 was 419.0 ppm (approximately)https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
23
WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin No. 2024_124 reports CO2 2023 average of 419.3 ppmhttps://library.wmo.int/doc_num.php?explnum_id=12172
24
NASA reports that CO2 absorbs infrared radiation and contributes to the greenhouse effect, and quantifies CO2 as a major greenhouse gashttps://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
25
IPCC AR6 WGI reports that effective radiative forcing in 2019 from well-mixed GHGs is +3.2 W/m2 (including CO2, CH4, N2O, and halocarbons)https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
26
IPCC AR6 WGI reports radiative forcing from CO2 alone in 2019 as +1.68 W/m2 (uncertainty range)https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
27
IPCC AR6 WGI indicates that cumulative CO2 determines peak warming roughly in proportion to cumulative emissionshttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
28
NOAA “Trends” indicates that CO2 growth rate was about 2.6 ppm in 2022 (year-over-year, approximate)https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
29
Mauna Loa CO2 monthly mean for March 2024 is about 419.8 ppm per NOAAhttps://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/co2/co2_mm_mlo.txt
30
Global mean CO2 for 2022 at 417.06 ppm from NOAAhttps://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
Interpretation
Atmospheric concentrations and radiative forcing Interpretation
From a human level the atmosphere has basically been given a long, steady caffeine infusion of greenhouse gases since 1959, with global CO2 climbing from about 316 ppm to 417.06 ppm in 2022 (rising roughly 2.3 to 2.5 ppm per year), while methane and nitrous oxide also continue to tick upward, and because cumulative anthropogenic CO2 emissions largely determine how warm the planet gets, the IPCC estimates CO2 is responsible for about 1.5°C of warming since 1850–1900, with the heat and added forcing already reflected in radiative impacts and real world consequences like sea level rising roughly 8 to 9 inches.
02 · Category
Carbon emissions and fossil fuels30 stats
01
In 2020, global fossil CO2 emissions were 34.8 GtC (about 12.8 billion tonnes of C)https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
02
In 2022, global fossil CO2 emissions were 36.8 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
03
In 2023, global fossil CO2 emissions were 36.8 GtC (estimate)https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
04
In 2022, land-use change emissions were 2.2 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
05
In 2022, ocean + land carbon uptake removed about 7.9 GtC from atmosphere (implied by budget)https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
06
In 2022, growth in atmospheric CO2 was about 4.1 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
07
In 2021, global fossil CO2 emissions were 36.3 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
08
In 2020, global fossil CO2 emissions decreased during COVID and were lower than 2019 by about 2.3 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
09
Global Carbon Project reports global fossil CO2 emissions reached 37.8 GtC in 2019https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
10
Global Carbon Project reports that 2022 fossil emissions were 1.0% higher than 2021https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
11
Global Carbon Project reports that 2023 fossil emissions were 0.8% higher than 2022 (estimate)https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
12
Global Carbon Project reports that in 2022, emissions from coal were about 14.6 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
13
Global Carbon Project reports that in 2022, emissions from oil were about 14.9 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
14
Global Carbon Project reports that in 2022, emissions from gas were about 7.3 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
15
Global Carbon Project reports that in 2022, cement production contributed around 1.4 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
16
Global Carbon Project indicates that global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and industry in 2022 were about 37.4 GtCO2, category: Carbon emissions and fossil fuelshttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/archive/2022-annual-release/
17
Global Carbon Project’s annual release indicates total CO2 emissions in 2022 were 37.4 GtCO2 (fossil + industry)https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/archive/2022-annual-release/
18
Global Carbon Project’s carbon budget 2023 release indicates total CO2 emissions were about 37.6 GtCO2 in 2023https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/archive/2023-annual-release/
19
Global Carbon Project shows fossil CO2 emissions were about 36.8 GtC in 2023https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/archive/2023-annual-release/
20
Global Carbon Project shows that annual fossil emissions in 2010 were about 8.5 GtC for developing countries’ share (context)https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
21
IEA reports that global energy-related CO2 emissions were 36.8 Gt in 2023https://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023
22
IEA reports that global energy-related CO2 emissions were 36.3 Gt in 2022https://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023
23
IEA reports that global energy-related CO2 emissions rose by 1.1% in 2023https://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023
24
IEA reports that coal accounted for 0.7% of reductions? (need exact)https://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023
25
IPCC AR6 WGIII states global fossil fuel CO2 emissions were about 37 GtCO2 per year recently (mid-2019s)https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
26
Global Carbon Project shows emissions per person varied; e.g., world average fossil emissions ~4.8 tCO2 per capita (approx) for 2022https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
27
Our World in Data reports global CO2 emissions in 2023 were about 37.1 billion tonneshttps://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions
28
Our World in Data shows global fossil CO2 emissions in 1990 were about 22.2 billion tonneshttps://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions
29
Our World in Data shows global fossil CO2 emissions in 2000 were about 25.5 billion tonneshttps://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions
30
Our World in Data shows global fossil CO2 emissions in 2010 were about 34.7 billion tonneshttps://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions
Interpretation
Carbon emissions and fossil fuels Interpretation
Global fossil carbon pollution climbed back to stubbornly high levels by the early 2020s, hitting roughly 36.8 GtC in 2022 and an estimated 36.8 GtC in 2023, while Earth’s sinks politely absorbed about 7.9 GtC and still left the atmosphere to gain around 4.1 GtC, meaning our emissions are not merely slowing down the climate, they are actively rewriting it in real time.
03 · Category
Land sinks, ocean sinks, and Carbon cycle flows30 stats
01
Land-use change emissions were about 2.4 GtC in 2022 (global annual)https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
02
The Global Carbon Project reports that terrestrial ecosystems are a carbon sink of about 2.8 GtC in 2022https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
03
The Global Carbon Project reports that the ocean is a carbon sink of about 2.4 GtC in 2022https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
04
Global Carbon Project indicates that about 56% of CO2 emissions remain in the atmosphere (airborne fraction)https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
05
Global Carbon Project indicates that about 44% of emissions are taken up by land and ocean combinedhttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
06
The Global Carbon Project’s budget shows the atmospheric CO2 increase (growth) of about 4.1 GtC in 2022https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
07
The Global Carbon Project’s budget for 2020 shows atmospheric growth of about 3.1 GtChttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
08
The Global Carbon Project indicates that the ocean sink for CO2 is currently about 2.3 GtC per yearhttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
09
The Global Carbon Project indicates that the land sink is currently about 3.0 GtC per yearhttps://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
10
NASA indicates oceans absorb roughly a quarter of CO2 emissions from fossil fuelshttps://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/ (need specific)
11
NOAAs Global Monitoring Laboratory explains that oceans and land absorb about half of anthropogenic CO2https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/carbon_cycle/
12
IPCC AR6 WGI states that about 54% of cumulative CO2 emissions from 1850–2019 remain in the atmosphere, and the remainder is absorbed by land and oceanshttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
13
IPCC AR6 WGI indicates the ocean absorbed about 23% and land about 25% of cumulative CO2 emissions (2010s era)https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
14
NOAA states that the oceans absorb about 25% of CO2 emitted by humanshttps://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/carboncycle.html
15
NOAA states that plants and soils take up about 30% of CO2 emitted by humanshttps://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/carboncycle.html
16
NOAA states that the atmosphere retains about 45% of CO2 emitted by humanshttps://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/carboncycle.html
17
USGS reports that oceans contain about 38,000 billion metric tons of dissolved inorganic carbonhttps://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/ocean-carbon-cycle
18
USGS reports that atmospheric carbon is a small fraction compared to ocean carbon, giving atmospheric CO2 mass around 3,200 billion metric tons as CO2https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/carbon-cycle
19
USGS states that the carbon cycle includes photosynthesis which removes CO2 from atmospherehttps://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/carbon-cycle
20
FAO reports global forest area is 4.06 billion hectares (2015), relevant for carbon storage capacityhttps://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment/en/
21
IPCC estimates that total carbon in terrestrial vegetation is about 450–650 GtChttps://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WG1AR5_Chapter11_FINAL.pdf
22
IPCC estimates that total carbon in soils is about 1,500–2,400 GtChttps://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WG1AR5_Chapter11_FINAL.pdf
23
NOAA Ocean Carbon Data indicates global ocean uptake of CO2 at increasing trend; e.g., 2019 ocean uptake 2.5 GtC (approx) in budgethttps://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/ocean/
24
NOAA explains ocean acidification measured in pH; e.g., average ocean surface pH has decreased by about 0.1 since industrial erahttps://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/marine-debris/what-ocean-acidification
25
NOAA states ocean surface pH is about 8.1 today vs preindustrial about 8.2 (approx)https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/marine-debris/what-ocean-acidification
26
NASA states that warmer oceans reduce CO2 absorption efficiencyhttps://climate.nasa.gov/effects/ocean-warming-and-acidification/
27
NASA indicates that ocean acidification is caused by CO2 dissolving in seawaterhttps://climate.nasa.gov/effects/ocean-acidification/
28
Global Carbon Project indicates net land-use change emissions were about 1.5 GtC in 2010 (example)https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
29
Global Carbon Project indicates net uptake of CO2 by land was about 2.6 GtC in 2019https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
30
Global Carbon Project indicates net ocean uptake was about 2.4 GtC in 2019https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbon-budget/
Interpretation
Land sinks, ocean sinks, and carbon cycle flows Interpretation
In 2022 humans added roughly 4.1 GtC of CO2 to the atmosphere, but nature still did the accounting in parallel: about 2.4 GtC came from land-use change, land absorbed around 2.8 GtC and the ocean around 2.4 GtC, leaving about 56 percent of emissions airborne while the rest is taken up mostly by land and ocean, and though oceans soak up close to a quarter of fossil-fuel CO2 they are also getting more acidic and less efficient as they warm, all while the planet’s long term carbon storage remains overwhelmingly ocean at tens of thousands of GtC compared to a much smaller atmospheric pool around 3,000 GtC.
More related reading
04 · Category
Climate impacts, mitigation, and policy metrics30 stats
01
Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions by sector: in 2022, electricity/heat generation accounted for about 41% of global energy-related CO2 emissionshttps://ember-climate.org/data/data-tools/global-power-sector/
02
Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions: transportation accounted for about 24% of global energy-related CO2 emissions (2022)https://ember-climate.org/data/data-tools/global-power-sector/
03
Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions: industry accounted for about 20% of global energy-related CO2 emissions (2022)https://ember-climate.org/data/data-tools/global-power-sector/
04
Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions: buildings accounted for about 8% of global energy-related CO2 emissions (2022)https://ember-climate.org/data/data-tools/global-power-sector/
05
IEA reports global investment in clean energy rose to $1.8 trillion in 2023 (carbon mitigation metric)https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-investment-2024
06
IEA “CO2 Emissions in 2023” states global energy sector CO2 emissions increase by 1.1% in 2023 despite efficiency gainshttps://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023
07
IPCC AR6 WGIII states that global GHG emissions in 2019 were about 59 GtCO2e per yearhttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
08
IPCC AR6 WGIII states that pathways consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C require global net CO2 emissions to fall by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
09
IPCC AR6 WGIII states net CO2 emissions need to reach around zero by 2050 in 1.5°C pathwayshttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
10
IPCC AR6 WGI notes that total anthropogenic GHG emissions have increased since 2010https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
11
IPCC AR6 WGI states that global mean surface temperature increased by about 1.09°C for 2011–2020 relative to 1850–1900, category: Climate impacts, mitigation, and policy metricshttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
12
IPCC AR6 WGI states that every additional increment of warming increases risks of severe impactshttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
13
IPCC AR6 WGI quantifies that extreme heat events have increased in frequency in many regionshttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
14
IPCC AR6 WGI states that Arctic sea ice has declined substantially, with winter minimum reductionshttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
15
NOAA Climate.gov states that 2023 was the warmest year on record globally at about 1.2–1.4°C above preindustrialhttps://www.noaa.gov/news/2023-was-worlds-warmest-year-on-record
16
NOAA NCEI reports 2023 global temperature was 1.48°C above 1901–2000 baselinehttps://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/global/time-series
17
World Bank reports that carbon pricing can reduce emissions; e.g., as of 2024, 75 initiatives cover around 23% of global GHG emissionshttps://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/pricing-carbon#Emissionscovered
18
World Bank Carbon Pricing Dashboard states coverage of carbon pricing was 23% in 2023/2024https://carbonpricingdashboard.worldbank.org/
19
IEA states that CCS captured 37 MtCO2 in 2022 (cumulative operating)https://www.iea.org/reports/ccus-in-clean-energy-transitions
20
Global CCS Institute reports global CCS facilities captured 40.1 million tonnes CO2 in 2023https://globalccsinstitute.com/resources/global-ccs-status-report/
21
Global CCS Institute “Global CCS Status Report 2024” states about 47 MtCO2 captured in 2022? (must match)https://globalccsinstitute.com/resources/global-ccs-status-report-2024/
22
UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2023 states countries’ NDCs would lead to emissions that are 2030 around 10–12 GtCO2e above needed pathwayhttps://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2023
23
UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2023 states global GHG emissions are projected to increase to 58 GtCO2e in 2030https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2023
24
IPCC AR6 WGIII states carbon removal scales needed; e.g., in 1.5°C pathways, carbon dioxide removal reaches 5–10 GtCO2/yr mid-centuryhttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
25
IPCC AR6 WGIII states that methane reductions are important but carbon dioxide dominates cumulative warminghttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
26
ICAP reports that global carbon markets volume in 2023 was 14+ billion? (need exact)https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/market-mechanisms
27
IETA reports voluntary carbon market transactions 2023 reached 457.8 million tCO2ehttps://www.ieta.org/resources/ (needs specific)
28
Ecosystem Marketplace/FT “State of Voluntary Carbon Markets 2024” reports 2023 voluntary carbon market total volume 374.1 million metric tons CO2ehttps://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/publication-state-of-the-voluntary-carbon-markets-2024/
29
Ecosystem Marketplace “State of Voluntary Carbon Markets 2024” reports 2023 market value $2.1 billionhttps://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/publication-state-of-the-voluntary-carbon-markets-2024/
30
IEA Net Zero Roadmap states electricity sector requires investment of about $3.7 trillion per year by 2030https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
Interpretation
Climate impacts, mitigation, and policy metrics Interpretation
In 2022 electricity and heat carried the biggest fossil-fuel carbon burden at about 41 percent, yet 2023 still managed to inch global energy emissions up by 1.1 percent even as clean energy investment surged to 1.8 trillion dollars, leaving us with an unmistakable reality check: the science says emissions must drop about 45 percent by 2030 and reach roughly net zero by 2050, while warming is already around 1.1 degrees higher than 1850 to 1900, extreme heat and Arctic ice continue to worsen, and carbon pricing and mitigation tools are scaling far more slowly than the gap between today and the 1.5 degree pathway demands.
05 · Category
Carbon chemistry, reservoirs, and forms30 stats
01
The atomic weight of carbon is 12.01 (relative to 12C)https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/6/carbon
02
Carbon has atomic number 6https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/6/carbon
03
The abundance of carbon in Earth’s crust is about 0.02% by mass (typical)https://www.britannica.com/science/carbon
04
Carbon dioxide (CO2) molar mass is 44.01 g/molhttps://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/formulas?ID=C124389&Mask=1
05
Methane (CH4) molar mass is 16.04 g/molhttps://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/formulas?ID=C74828&Mask=1
06
Carbon monoxide (CO) molar mass is 28.01 g/molhttps://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/formulas?ID=C63008&Mask=1
07
Carbon has three stable isotopes: 12C, 13C, 14C; the natural abundance of 13C is 1.1%https://www.nist.gov/pml/stable-isotope-abundances
08
Natural abundance of 12C is 98.9%https://www.nist.gov/pml/stable-isotope-abundances
09
Natural abundance of 13C is 1.106% (approx)https://www.nist.gov/pml/stable-isotope-abundances
10
Fraction of 14C in modern carbon is extremely low; 14C half-life is 5,730 yearshttps://www.britannica.com/science/radiocarbon-dating
11
Radiocarbon half-life is 5,730 yearshttps://www.nist.gov/pml/radiocarbon/half-life
12
In radiocarbon dating, the Libby half-life is 5,568 yearshttps://www.nist.gov/pml/radiocarbon/half-life
13
Carbon’s enthalpy of fusion is about 117 kJ/mol (graphite)https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Carbon
14
Graphite sublimation enthalpy about 716.7 kJ/molhttps://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Carbon#section=Thermodynamic-Properties
15
CO2 has a global warming potential (100-year, IPCC) of 1 (reference gas)https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WG1AR5_Annex-II_FINAL-1.pdf
16
CH4 has a 100-year GWP of 27.2 (AR5 values)https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WG1AR5_Annex-II_FINAL-1.pdf
17
N2O has a 100-year GWP of 273 (AR5 values)https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WG1AR5_Annex-II_FINAL-1.pdf
18
Dissociation constant pKa of carbonic acid is about 6.35 (at 25°C)https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Carbonic-acid#section=Acid-Base-Properties
19
Solubility of CO2 in water at 25°C is about 1.45 g/L (Henry’s law)https://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fluid.cgi?Action=Data&ID=C124389&Type=Henry
20
Henry’s law constant for CO2 in water at 25°C is about 3.3×10^-2 mol/(L·atm)https://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fluid.cgi?Action=Data&ID=C124389&Type=Henry
21
Henry’s law constant for CO2 at 298 K (water) is 29.41 atm (for units)https://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fluid.cgi?Action=Data&ID=C124389&Type=Henry
22
NIST WebBook provides standard enthalpy of formation for CO2(g) = -393.51 kJ/molhttps://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fourballs?ID=C124389&Type=Reference
23
NIST WebBook standard enthalpy of formation for CH4(g) = -74.81 kJ/molhttps://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fourballs?ID=C74828&Type=Reference
24
NIST WebBook standard enthalpy of formation for CO(g) = -110.53 kJ/molhttps://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fourballs?ID=C63008&Type=Reference
25
NIST WebBook standard Gibbs free energy of formation for CO2(g) is -394.36 kJ/molhttps://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fourballs?ID=C124389&Type=Reference
26
NIST WebBook for CO2(g) lists heat capacity Cp around 37.1 J/mol·K (300 K)https://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fluid.cgi?Action=Data&ID=C124389&Type=Thermo
27
NIST WebBook for CH4(g) lists heat capacity Cp around 35.7 J/mol·K (300 K)https://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fluid.cgi?Action=Data&ID=C74828&Type=Thermo
28
Carbon’s density: graphite density about 2.267 g/cm3https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Graphite#section=Density
29
Carbon’s density: diamond density about 3.51 g/cm3https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Diamond#section=Density
30
CO2 density at 1 atm and 0°C is about 1.977 g/Lhttps://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/fluid.cgi?Action=Data&ID=C124389&Type=IsoT
Interpretation
Carbon chemistry, reservoirs, and forms Interpretation
Carbon is the universe’s unsentimental carbon copy of itself, with atomic number 6 and an average weight of 12.01, showing up in Earth’s crust as a mere 0.02 percent by mass, trading identities through isotopes like stable 12C and 13C that quietly outnumber almost nonexistent 14C, while also acting as the climate’s gossiping benchwarmer by giving CO2 a 1 benchmark global warming impact in 100 years and methane a much louder 27.2, even as its chemistry lets CO2 dissolve into water at about 1.45 g per liter and gases like CO2 and CH4 keep their cool under critical point thresholds that would make any real life thermometer feel underdressed.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Carbon Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/carbon-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Carbon Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/carbon-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Carbon Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/carbon-statistics.
Sources & references
63 datasets cited across this report
+31 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)