ACS Chemistry for Life (R) National Historic Chemical Landmark The Keeling Curve Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California, San Diego La Jolla, California In 1958, Charles David Keeling (1928-2005) of Scripps Institution of Oceanography began a cooperative pogram for the study of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) at the newly estabilished Mauna Loa Observatory of the U.S. Weather Bureau and other sites around the world. By 1960, Keeling revealed two significant findings, reporting the first quantitative estimate of Earth's natural seasonal CO2 oscillations while also discovering a steady annual increase in CO2, the most significant greenhouse gas contributing to global climate change. Keeling advanced our understanding of mankind's impact on Earth by linking fossil fuel emissions to rising levels of CO2. His dedication to continuous and accurate measurements enabled these data to become an unequivocal record of the global rise in CO2 and an icon of atmospheric science. American Chemical Society June 12, 2015