Chart of Historical Temperature and Major Greenhouse Gasses

CO2 concentrations are well above historic maximum levels.* The GWP (Global Warming Potential) of methane gas (CH4) is greater than the GWP of CO2. Warming could release vast quantities of CH4 from thawing tundra and seabed methane hydrates.

*Levels of CO2 continue to increase, measuring 415.25 PPM in January, 2021

More Climate Infographics

Sources

Vostok Ice Core Data for 420,000 Years, IGBP PAGES/World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, Petit, J.R., et al., 2001, Data Contribution Series #2001-076
NOAA/NGDC Paleoclimatology Program, Boulder CO, USA, www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/icgate.html
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),Climate Change 2001: Working Group I: The Scientific Basis, www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/221.htm
Wikipedia,en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age; The 2Degree institute: CO2 levels; https://www.co2levels.org/; https://www.methanelevels.org/
CO2 PPM: NASA: Global Climate Change, Vital Signs of the Planet; climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/

Tags: greenhouse gases, historic emissions, climate change, carbon dioxide, methane, temperature, global warming, historical temperature and major greenhouse gasses, climate