Keeling Carbon Dioxide Measurement Site
San Diego, San Diego County, California
Marker Inscription
At this location Charles David Keeling planned and led his project to measure the level of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. The rise of the level over many decades receals an influence of human activity. Historic Physics Site, Register of Historic Sites American Physical Society
Erected by American Physical Society
The Story
At this Scripps location, Charles David Keeling planned and directed the pioneering project to measure carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere. Over the following decades, the steady climb in those readings exposed the unmistakable influence of human activity on the planet's air. The American Physical Society designated the spot a Historic Physics Site in recognition of its scientific weight.
Why it matters
This is the intellectual birthplace of the continuous CO2 record that anchors modern climate science.
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Related people
- · Charles David Keeling
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
The Keeling Curve
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In 1958, Scripps scientist Charles David Keeling launched a program to measure atmospheric carbon dioxide from the newly built Mauna Loa Observatory and other sites worldwide. Within two years his data revealed both the Earth's natural seasonal CO2 rhythm and — more consequentially — a steady, relentless annual rise, which he linked to the burning of fossil fuels. His insistence on continuous, precise measurement turned the resulting Keeling Curve into one of the defining records of modern science.
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