CSIRO's Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station Goes Public. (June 18, 2011)

Cape Grim, on Tasmania’s west coast, is one of the three premier Baseline Air Pollution Stations in the World Meteorological Organization-Global Atmosphere Watch (WMO-GAW) network. Baseline stations are defined by the WMO to meet a specific set of criteria for measuring greenhouse and ozone depleting gases and aerosols in clean air environments. Baseline stations are considered crucial points of reference for the larger global network of atmospheric gas observing stations.

The Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station first began measuring the composition of the atmosphere in April 1976 and has been in continuous operation since that date.

Click here to access CSIRO's Cape Grim website and its interactive monthly updated graphics together with detailed explanations of the methods of the measurements.

Below are graphs taken from the website which show the atmospheric  concentration of the three most important greenhouse gasses from the year 1000 to the present. Air samples prior to 1976 were collected from Antarctic ice at Law Dome.