Friday, May 16, 2008
Notes on the most recent global climate data
The National Climatic Data Center's April report came out yesterday, and it contains the usual interesting nuggets. Key point:
Based on preliminary data, the globally averaged combined land and sea surface temperature was the thirteenth warmest on record for April and the January-April year-to-date period ranked twelfth warmest.
The year is a third done and it does not yet rank in the top ten. This is a particularly sharp drop from the same period last year, which was the hottest on record in the Northern Hemisphere.
As has generally been the case, Eurasia has experienced the warming climate more tangibly than North America (a condition which I believe explains much of the difference in American and European attitudes about climate change). For example, there was a huge disparity in snowcover across the Northern Hemisphere in April.
[T]he mean Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent during April 2008 was below average. Similar to the month of March, snowfall across the Northern Hemisphere was variable during April. The Northern Hemisphere had the 8th least snow cover extent on record....
Across North America, snow cover for April 2008 was above average, the 9th largest April extent since satellite records began in 1967....
Eurasia's snow cover extent during April 2008 was below average. This was the least snow cover extent over the 41-year historical period for April, surpassing the previous least snow cover extent set in 1990.
Finally, the sea ice data were interesting, especially given this week's ruling by the Department of the Interior that the polar bear is endangered.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the April 2008 Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent, which is measured from passive microwave instruments onboard NOAA satellites, was below the 1979-2000 mean, but greater than the previous four years. This was the eighth least April sea ice extent on record. The past four years had the least April sea ice extent since records began in 1979, with 2007 having the least April sea ice extent on record.
But wait, the sea ice has been increasing in the Southern Hemisphere:
Meanwhile, the April 2008 Southern Hemisphere sea ice extent was much above the 1979-2000 mean. This was the largest sea ice extent in April (17.5 percent above the 1979-2000 mean) over the 30-year historical period, surpassing the previous record set in 1982 by 4.1 percent. Sea ice extent for April has increased at a rate of 2.5 percent per decade.
The trends are no less interesting:
Maybe we should transplant a few polar bears to Antarctica, just to be on the safe side. Although I suppose the penguins wouldn't appreciate it.
4 Comments:
By 
, at
Fri May 16, 07:54:00 AM:
Are you implying that Global Warming is the biggest scam in recorded history?
Sacrilege, the debate is over, we only have 10 years to save the earth. Ask any US School kid who had to watch AlGore's movies in every class they take.
Seriously, adding polar bears to the endangered species list as a lever to enact emission control through the courts is going to cost us all LOT of money.
Good thing the economy is doing so well.
the Colonel.
By , at
Fri May 16, 09:38:00 AM:
Yes GLOBAL WARMING is the biggist scam around its a fruad and a lie and unscruplous persons are using it to control our lives there are plenty of underhanded persons like AL GORE and the greens wanting to control our lives like the UN or CFR
By 
randian, at
Fri May 16, 09:56:00 AM:
The small sample sizes and short epochs used to measure "13th warmest" makes me extremely suspicious. The "debate is over" crowd just magnifies it.
By , at
Sat May 17, 07:51:00 AM:
Yes GLOBAL WARMING is the biggist scam around its a fruad
Somebody better tell that to McCain.
Or tell him to leave at least a little wiggle room for the non believers....
