Every month University of Alabama at Huntsville climatologists John Christy and Roy Spencer report the latest global temperature trends from satellite data. Below are the newest data updated through December, 2009.
Latest Global Temperatures
The UAH press release notes:
An El Nino Pacific Ocean warming event kept global temperatures warmer than seasonal norms through December, with temperatures in the tropics a full 0.50 C (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than seasonal norms, according to Dr. John Christy, professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Powered by the El Nino, temperatures throughout 2009 were warmer than seasonal norms, making it the seventh warmest year in the 31-year satellite-based temperature record.
Year Temp Anomaly 1. 1998 +0.512 C 2. 2005 +0.338 C 3. 2002 +0.311 C 4. 2007 +0.282 C 5. 2003 +0.275 C 6. 2006 +0.260 C 7. 2009 +0.259 C 8. 2001 +0.198 C 9. 2004 +0.193 C 10. 1991 +0.117 C
The data for the chart can be found here. The northern hemisphere is warming at +0.19 C degrees per decade and the southern hemisphere is warming at +0.07 C degrees per decade. Interestingly, the satellites show that the north polar region is warming at +0.40 C degrees per decade and the south polar region is cooling at -0.06 C degrees per decade. The U.S. is warming at about +0.23 C degrees per decade.
