Ralph Keeling

Ralph Keeling, PhD, is geochemistry professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. His research focuses on atmospheric composition, the carbon cycle, and climate change. He is a leading investigator of the global oxygen cycle for his precise measurements and analysis techniques. Keeling began and continues pioneering measurements of changes in atmospheric oxygen levels from air samples collected at nine stations around the world, extending from northern Canada over the equator to two Antarctic stations. Keeling also directs the Scripps CO2 Program, which measures carbon dioxide concentrations around the world, upon which the Keeling Curve record of carbon dioxide concentration is based. The Keeling Curve is considered the foundation of modern climate change research.