CrustalTrudger t1_ja0iu29 wrote
Reply to comment by paulHarkonen in how accurate is the greenland ice core oxygen isotope study in regards to earth's climate history ? by Additional-Rhubarb-8
The idea that there are remote areas where even the lower troposphere is sufficiently well mixed enough that sampling in one location represents a reasonable approximation of a global average is the whole concept behind the Mauna Loa Observatory and Keeling Curve.
paulHarkonen t1_ja0wg8r wrote
Oooooh, I see what you're saying. You can find sample points that are sufficiently far from sources/sinks that your local measurements are (essentially) just measuring the aggregate of the troposphere.
That's different from saying that a local measurement at an arbitrary location is representative. Ok, I'm onboard now that I understand what you're saying. I was just commenting that local measurements are not necessarily reflective of larger scale measurements (which it sounds like is accurate with the exception of a few selective spots where the local readings happen to be better reflections of the average).
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