Brisbane's average carbon dioxide concentration for 28 March 2024: 452 ppm.
Average for 2023*: 437 ppm.
*Average of calendar year’s observations – based on three phases of data collection with different calibrations and incomplete data (64% complete).
With additional sites, we can learn more about Brisbane’s CO2 levels and their associations with weather, traffic etc. If you are interested in hosting a sensor, please contact us here.
Daily profiles
More symmetric daily profiles on Thursday for the three stations currently reporting – and a small rise in average values.
A network of sensors that includes carbon dioxide measurement is being installed in Providence, Rhode Island, adding to the handful of cities with continuous monitoring: https://www.breatheprovidence.com/.
Globally, 2024 continues to show some exceptional temperatures. For example, global sea surface temperatures continue to run about four standard deviations above the mean fro 1982-2011 (dark line, top left):
Why do levels change across the day? Although patterns vary considerably, levels normally rise overnight as the top of the atmospheric boundary layer is closer to the ground. At daybreak, the boundary layer rises and winds bring in ‘cleaner’ air from higher levels, while photosynthesis also reduces carbon dioxide levels, until the sun goes down.
Learning about traffic-related emissions in Brisbane
Average levels measured at Petrie Terrace for weekdays were higher than for weekends in the morning and afternoon/evening commuting times, but lower in the early morning hours. Differences in traffic emissions are the likely explanation. (Note: some missing days during 2023). Strong similarities with data using much more sophisticated measurements, from Mexico City and Munich (below) including the reversal from early morning to the afternoon and evening. (González del Castillo, E. et al. (2022) ‘CO2 variability in the Mexico City region from in situ measurements at an urban and a background site’, Atmósfera, 35(2), pp. 377–393. Available at: https://doi.org/10.20937/atm.52956.) & Lan, L. et al. (2020) ‘Assessment of Urban CO2 Measurement and Source Attribution in Munich Based on TDLAS-WMS and Trajectory Analysis’, Atmosphere, 11(1), p. 58. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11010058.).
Another way of viewing this is to subtract weekend values from weekday values. This shows the morning and afternoon/evening commuting time peaks very clearly.
Why do weekdays have lower values than weekends in the early morning? Sunday ends low, which runs into Monday morning and brings down the weekday average for those early hours. Saturday ends high (perhaps because of late evening entertainment-related traffic), which runs into Sunday morning and elevates the weekend values in those hours.
The increment of 4-6 ppm for weekdays compared to weekends doesn’t indicate the total effect of traffic emissions as it is just a difference score – even on weekends the city centre has a high traffic load.
This analysis shows the value of targeted comparisons – even though our low-cost equipment limits the accuracy of measurements (and therefore inferences about data from different sites), comparisons made over the same time-period can be made with much greater confidence.
Date | Kelvin Grove | Petrie Terrace | Chapel Hill | Bellbird Park |
---|---|---|---|---|
28-03-2024 | 445 ppm | 456 ppm | 455 ppm | --- |
27-03-2024 | 441 ppm | 444 ppm | 440 ppm | --- |
26-03-2024 | 450 ppm | --- | 446 ppm | --- |
25-03-2024 | 457 ppm | --- | 454 ppm | --- |
24-03-2024 | 445 ppm | 448 ppm | 444 ppm | --- |
23-03-2024 | 439 ppm | 444 ppm | 435 ppm | 447 ppm |
22-03-2024 | 434 ppm | 438 ppm | 425 ppm | 419 ppm |
21-03-2024 | 445 ppm | 448 ppm | 441 ppm | 440 ppm |
20-03-2024 | 450 ppm | 457 ppm | 456 ppm | 457 ppm |
19-03-2024 | 438 ppm | 445 ppm | 441 ppm | 446 ppm |
18-03-2024 | 436 ppm | 440 ppm | 432 ppm | 435 ppm |
17-03-2024 | 436 ppm | 441 ppm | 431 ppm | 439 ppm |
16-03-2024 | 436 ppm | 425 ppm | 438 ppm | 419 ppm |
15-03-2024 | 448 ppm | 455 ppm | 446 ppm | 471 ppm |
14-03-2024 | 447 ppm | 454 ppm | 443 ppm | 439 ppm |
13-03-2024 | 442 ppm | 443 ppm | 436 ppm | 426 ppm |
12-03-2024 | 442 ppm | 444 ppm | 436 ppm | 423 ppm |
11-03-2024 | 445 ppm | 445 ppm | 442 ppm | 441 ppm |
10-03-2024 | 439 ppm | 443 ppm | 435 ppm | 427 ppm |
09-03-2024 | 441 ppm | 442 ppm | 434 ppm | 439 ppm |
08-03-2024 | 444 ppm | 449 ppm | 441 ppm | 435 ppm |
07-03-2024 | 449 ppm | 454 ppm | 449 ppm | 464 ppm |
06-03-2024 | 450 ppm | 455 ppm | 450 ppm | 471 ppm |
05-03-2024 | 446 ppm | 449 ppm | 442 ppm | 464 ppm |
04-03-2024 | 458 ppm | 462 ppm | 456 ppm | 473 ppm |
03-03-2024 | 449 ppm | 450 ppm | 442 ppm | 457 ppm |
02-03-2024 | 448 ppm | 449 ppm | 437 ppm | 447 ppm |
01-03-2024 | 449 ppm | 453 ppm | 441 ppm | 446 ppm |
29-02-2024 | 453 ppm | 456 ppm | 446 ppm | 456 ppm |
28-02-2024 | 450 ppm | 456 ppm | 453 ppm | 454 ppm |
27-02-2024 | 450 ppm | 449 ppm | 456 ppm | 441 ppm |
26-02-2024 | 452 ppm | 453 ppm | 456 ppm | 467 ppm |
25-02-2024 | 453 ppm | 453 ppm | 454 ppm | 455ppm |
24-02-2024 | 467 ppm | 468 ppm | 462 ppm | 477 ppm |
23-02-2024 | 457 ppm | 458 ppm | 446 ppm | 451 ppm |
22-02-2024 | 456 ppm | 455 ppm | 450 ppm | 473 ppm |
21-02-2024 | 458 ppm | 455 ppm | 455 ppm | 476 ppm |
20-02-2024 | 454 ppm | 451 ppm | 454 ppm | 456 ppm |
19-02-2024 | 461 ppm | 460 ppm | 456 ppm | 473 ppm |
18-02-2024 | 452 ppm | 454 ppm | 462 ppm | |
17-02-2024 | 453 ppm | 451 ppm | 461 ppm | |
16-02-2024 | 449 ppm | 445 ppm | 466 ppm | |
15-02-2024 | 448 ppm | 450 ppm | 436 ppm | |
14-02-2024 | 454 ppm | 447 ppm | 451 ppm | |
13-02-2024 | 454 ppm | 449 ppm | 429 ppm | |
12-02-2024 | 452 ppm | 445 ppm | 442 ppm | |
11-02-2024 | 448 ppm | 438 ppm | 439 ppm | |
10-02-2024 | 448 ppm | 438 ppm | 444 ppm | |
09-02-2024 | 444 ppm | 431 ppm | 426 ppm | |
08-02-2024 | 446 ppm | 429 ppm | 419 ppm | |
07-02-2024 | 444 ppm | 435 ppm | 426 ppm | |
06-02-2024 | 445 ppm | 433 ppm | 436 ppm | |
05-02-2024 | 442 ppm | 432 ppm | 429 ppm | |
04-02-2024 | 451 ppm | 442 ppm | 458 ppm | |
03-02-2024 | 452 ppm | 442 ppm | 433 ppm | |
02-02-2024 | 447 ppm | 439 ppm | 451 ppm | |
01-02-2024 | 446ppm | 432 ppm | 430 ppm | |
31-01-2024 | 446 ppm | 432 ppm | 425 ppm | |
30-01-2024 | 447 ppm | 432 ppm | 435 ppm | |
29-01-2024 | 451 ppm | 447 ppm | 458 ppm | |
28-01-2024 | 449 ppm | 453 ppm | 452 ppm | |
27-01-2024 | 443 ppm | 445 ppm | 448 ppm | |
26-01-2024 | 443 ppm | 440 ppm | 452 ppm | |
25-01-2024 | 447 ppm | 442 ppm | 447 ppm | |
24-01-2024 | 441 ppm | 438 ppm | 432 ppm | |
23-01-2024 | 436 ppm | 422 ppm | 418 ppm | |
22-01-2024 | 451 ppm | 448 ppm | 450 ppm | |
21-01-2024 | 451 ppm | 451 ppm | 435 ppm | |
20-01-2024 | 445 ppm | 440 ppm | 433 ppm | |
19-01-2024 | 452 ppm | 442 ppm | 437 ppm | |
18-01-2024 | -- | 450 ppm | 452 ppm | |
17-01-2024 | -- | 445 ppm | 438 ppm | |
16-01-2024 | -- | 440 ppm | 439 ppm | |
15-01-2024 | -- | 436 ppm | 434 ppm | |
14-01-2024 | -- | 441 ppm | 439 ppm | |
13-01-2024 | -- | 436 ppm | 431 ppm | |
12-01-2024 | -- | 442 ppm | 431 ppm | |
11-01-2024 | -- | 445 ppm | 434 ppm | |
10-01-2024 | -- | 456 ppm | 447 ppm | |
09-01-2024 | -- | 444 ppm | 437 ppm | |
08-01-2024 | 445 ppm | 438 ppm | ||
07-01-2024 | -- | 436 ppm | 427 ppm | |
06-01-2024 | -- | 425 ppm | 419 ppm | |
05-01-2024 | -- | 444ppm | 445 ppm | |
04-01-2024 | -- | 450 ppm | 445 ppm | |
03-01-2024 | 424 ppm | 439 ppm | 434 ppm | |
02-01-2024 | 430 ppm | 438 ppm | 442 ppm | |
01-01-2024 | 435 ppm | 444 ppm | 444 ppm | |
31-12-2023 | 432 ppm | 445 ppm | 439 ppm |
|
30-12-2023 | 439 ppm | 445 ppm | 436 ppm | |
29-12-2023 | 450 ppm | 466 ppm | 462 ppm | |
28-12-2023 | 445 ppm | 466 ppm | 469 ppm | |
27-12-2023 | 435 ppm | 448 ppm | 446 ppm | |
26-12-2023 | 435 ppm | 439ppm | 434 ppm | |
25-12-2023 | 429 ppm | 441 ppm | 441 ppm | |
24-12-2023 | 432 ppm | 442 ppm | 437 ppm | |
23-12-2023 | 421 ppm | 436 ppm | 443 ppm | |
22-12-2023 | 430 ppm | 432 ppm | 446 ppm | |
21-12-2023 | 429 ppm | 442 ppm | 433 ppm | |
20-12-2023 | 419 ppm | 431 ppm | 431 ppm | |
19-12-2023 | 421 ppm | 430ppm | 429 ppm | |
18-12-2023 | 424 ppm | — | 426 ppm | |
17-12-2023 | 432 ppm | 445 ppm | 433 ppm | |
16-12-2023 | 434 ppm | 444 ppm | 439 ppm | |
15-12-2023 | 433 ppm | 439 ppm | 436 ppm | |
14-12-2023 | 421 ppm | 427 ppm | 426 ppm | |
13-12-2023 | 422 ppm | 433 ppm | 425 ppm | |
12-12-2023 | 420 ppm | 434 ppm | 421 ppm | |
11-12-2023 | 418 ppm | 428 ppm | 422 ppm | |
10-12-2023 | 423 ppm | 438 ppm | 424 ppm | |
09-12-2023 | 420 ppm | 436 ppm | 426 ppm | |
08-12-2023 | 430ppm | 437 ppm | 438 ppm | |
07-12-2023 | 431 ppm | 439 ppm | 438ppm | |
06-12-2023 | 427 ppm | 436 ppm | 436 ppm | |
05-12-2023 | 426 ppm | 433 ppm | 428 ppm | |
04-12-2023 | 435 ppm | 445 ppm | 439 ppm | |
03-12-2023 | 438 ppm | 453 ppm | 465 ppm | |
02-12-2023 | 434ppm | 443 ppm | 442 ppm | |
01-12-2023 | 444 ppm | 451 ppm | 459 ppm | |
30-11-2023 | 447ppm | 464 ppm | 457 ppm | |
29-11-2023 | 437 ppm | 437 ppm | 436 ppm | |
28-Nov-2023 | 444 ppm | 448 ppm | 448 ppm | |
27-Nov-2023 | 433 ppm | 436 ppm | 444 ppm | |
26-Nov-2023 | 427 ppm | 435 ppm | 447 ppm | |
25-Nov-2023 | 425 ppm | 430 ppm | 423 ppm | |
24-Nov-2023 | 429 ppm | 442 ppm | 427 ppm | |
23-Nov-2023 | 431 ppm | 442 ppm | 432 ppm | |
22-Nov-2023 | 435 ppm | 437 ppm | 433 ppm | |
21-Nov-2023 | 440 ppm | 436 ppm | 432 ppm |
Phase 3 Data
(Table presents latest data, which may include revisions based on periodic recalibration of equipment, correction of errors, omissions, etc.) Please note that data for Petrie Terrace between 21 Nov 2023 and 03 Jan 2024 will soon be revised in the next few days to account for drift in a sensor – now replaced).