Precise Monitoring of Global Temperature Trends from Satellites

Passive microwave radiometry from satellites provides more precise atmospheric temperature information than that obtained from the relatively sparse distribution of thermometers over the earth's surface. Accurate global atmospheric temperature estimates are needed for detection of possible gree...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1990-03, Vol.247 (4950), p.1558-1562
Main Authors: Spencer, Roy W., Christy, John R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artificial satellites
atmospheric conditions
Atmospheric temperature
Climate change
Climatic changes
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
Environmental aspects
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Global climate models
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Measurement
Meteorological satellites
meteorology
Meteorology And Climatology
MICROWAVE RADIATION
Microwaves
MONITORING
monitoring measurements
Oceans
RADIATIONS 540110
radiometry
Radiosondes
Research Article
SATELLITES
Surface temperature
temperature
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
Temperature measurement
Thermometers
Time series
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Summary:Passive microwave radiometry from satellites provides more precise atmospheric temperature information than that obtained from the relatively sparse distribution of thermometers over the earth's surface. Accurate global atmospheric temperature estimates are needed for detection of possible greenhouse warming, evaluation of computer models of climate change, and for understanding important factors in the climate system. Analysis of the first 10 years (1979 to 1988) of satellite measurements of lower atmospheric temperature changes reveals a monthly precision of 0.01°C, large temperature variability on time scales from weeks to several years, but no obvious trend for the 10-year period. The warmest years, in descending order, were 1987, 1988, 1983, and 1980. The years 1984, 1985, and 1986 were the coolest.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.247.4950.1558