NASA animation of temperature data from 1880-2011

[AuCafeDeLaMarmotte]

Ah ! Thanks so much ! You are the first commentator who actually got my point ! I wrote a script to compute the actual mean of temperature increase according to their 2011, and what it shows is a +0.81C mean. So the increase that we perceive in this animation is 60% higher than the "actual" 0.51C that the NASA speaks of. It's not that I don't care about the melting, but we must admit that this projection is a very partial choice !

[illsmosisyou]

What this is indicating is that the temperature of each specific year has increased or decreased by something within the range of -2 to +2 degrees celsius over the average temperature. So the scale doesn't indicate the temperature has increased a few degrees on average, just certain years.

And the poles (especially the north pole) also vary more dramatically because of the melting of sea ice. The ice reflects the sun's rays (the albedo affect) helping to keep the area cooler.

[SisterUnity]

while I don't see a discrepancy between our two comments, I am so glad you added to note about thinking positively. You are absolutely right. There are thousands of creative solutions to remedy the ways in which human activity has fomented the crisis.

[zavatone]

The temperature scale in the lower right is from -2 to +2 degrees celsius.

[Porktopolis]

It is from the Goddard Space Flight Center, Scientific Visualization Studio. SVS Animation 3901 on their web site.

[B-...]

If i had to guess it would be that the 0.51 is the average temperature rise, whereas the red spots are specific areas seeing temperature rises of 2 degrees but globally this is averaged out by lower areas.

[xNoNameNemox]

you are also right about the lack of predictability. If a negative feedback occurred that we haven't thought of or predicted, theoretically we could be suddenly thrown into an ice age!! (I am not saying this is gonna happen by the way, just giving an example).

[djspark]

It's due the illusion created by the map's flat projection. Actually, the north pole is quite small, and doesn't weights so much in the total temperature.

[chrisale]

And by the way, the 0.5C is for the average for the WHOLE of the Earth. That means some places, like the Arctic can, and are, showing much greater increases than that while others are less.

[AlexKarantza]

The .51 degrees doesn't sound like much, but remember that's an average increase for the whole planet; essentially the world's energy budget. That change of .51 degrees applies to /all the air on Earth/, so it's really quite a lot of energy being added. And it's this extra energy, not just local heat, that drive things like severe storms.

[rickbrunernyc]

Thanks. Yes, I found it now, too. Very powerful.

[xNoNameNemox]

trends for climate if just natural suggest that temperatures would actually be decreasing if there was no anthropogenic output of polluting gases. However, it is true that the effect we are having is causing knock on effects in the natural environment. These radiative forcings within our own atmosphere are called feedbacks.
For example, small increase in temp due to humans = small melting of ice caps = decrease in planets albedo = small increase in temp. More CO2 release stops balance restoring

[se]

There is always the fact that the sun could simply be hotter sometimes and cooler other times.

[sanjuansnowcat]

Great! Just great! I was in a positive mood about the upcoming winter before I saw this.

[hackius]

Solar variations causing changes in solar radiation energy reaching the Earth have been the cause of past climate changes.
The effect of changes in solar forcing in recent decades is uncertain, but small, with some studies showing a slight cooling effect, while others studies suggest a slight warming effect.
Greenhouse gases and solar forcing affect temperatures in different ways.

[marton_e]

Humbolt antwoord:
Bijvoorbeeld:
- De mate van CO2-uitstoot in een bepaald gebied.
- Zeestromen die warmte aan- of juist afvoeren.
- Windcirculatie.
Gekopieerd uit het boek

[SisterUnity]

said the man burning oil by sitting on the computer.

[swordedaffair]

I would have shared this if you had included, in your description, information as to the source. Just saying "NASA animation" doesn't cut it.

[thetarget]

You are absolutely right. We cannot push all the blame to the human race for causing global warming. However we can certainly without doubt push the blame to us for accelerating the process. The previous cycle happened not very long ago. And what has been proven is that this cycle is alot faster than all the previous ones. What took nature hundreds of years to accomplish only took us 150 years. So kudos, us.

[nicolaikido]

Will you say the same thing when crops will not be able to grow because of the dry weather? And when rivers will be out of clean water ?