With the discovery of this stable background, it immediately became of interest to ask how stable this background might be. Discussions ensued with Harry Wexler of the US Weather Bureau, the precursor agency of NOAA, and Wexler suggested that CO₂ measurements be made on a continuing basis at the newly created station on Mauna Loa. Rather than joining Wexler in Washington D.C., Charles David Keeling instead accepted an offer to come to Scripps Institution of Oceanography where Roger Revelle was interested in spinning up a CO₂ measurements program. Roger had a somewhat different idea of how the measurements should proceed, and believed the right approach was to make large surveys of the atmosphere and ocean at, say, decadal intervals. By maintaining strong contacts with Wexler at the Weather Bureau, Charles David Keeling was ultimately able to set up measurements at Mauna Loa even while being at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

The value of the Mauna Loa record soon became readily apparent. Within just a year or two, Charles David Keeling had shown that CO₂ underwent a regular seasonal cycle, reflecting the seasonal growth and decay of land plants in the northern hemisphere, as well as a regular long-term rise driven by the burning of fossil-fuels.