Imagine you're on vacation in sunny Hawaii. Between sipping your pineapple juice and dipping your feet in the water, you notice a research observatory on Mauna Loa mountain. What's going on there? Let's dive into it!

• Origin: Since 1959, the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii has been measuring atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). The results? A graph known as the Keeling Curve.
  Cool Fact: It's named after the scientist Charles Keeling, who started this project!

• Two Main Trends on the Keeling Curve

  • Annual fluctuations
    • CO₂ concentration increases between October and May.
    • CO₂ concentration decreases from May to October.
    • Why? It's all about the balance between photosynthesis (plants converting CO₂ into glucose and oxygen) and respiration (organisms releasing CO₂ as they breathe).
      🌱 Fun Fact: During the northern hemisphere's summer, plants are partying hard! It's their prime growth season, leading to higher photosynthesis rates.
  • Long-term trend
    • Even though CO₂ levels dip every year, they never go back to where they started. Why? They’re continuously on the rise!
    • Main Culprit: Human activities, especially burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Oh, and don't forget the big role deforestation plays in this. 🌲🔥

• NOAA Global Monitoring Earth Research Labs: Contains data from 90+ monitoring stations measuring atmospheric CO₂.
• Gapminder database: Ever wondered which country has the densest forest? This database reveals forest biomass data over time across the globe.
• UN REDD+ database: Shows forest cover by country.

🔍 Inquiry Corner: Put on your detective hat!

• Temperate Forest Cover & CO₂: Could forest cover near a testing station impact CO₂ fluctuations? How about other factors like land mass differences between hemispheres, seasonal temperatures, or even volcanic eruptions? Dive into the databases and see what you find!
• Forest & CO₂ Relationship: Are there other patterns between forest variables and atmospheric CO₂ levels? Challenge yourself to test some hypotheses using these databases!