datoid

Atmospheric CO₂ at Mauna Loa reached 378.78 ppm in May 2003, exceeding the prior 60-month average (370.60 ppm) by 2.6 standard deviations. This represents an 8.18 ppm spike above the established trend. The timing coincides with multiple economic indicators hitting records: unemployment at historic lows (4.30%), CPI at all-time highs, and GDP growth of 1.4%. Global temperature anomalies also jumped 9.3% over the quarter. This statistical outlier suggests either measurement anomaly or acceleration in CO₂ accumulation during a period of robust economic activity.