date: Fri Feb 25 10:24:42 2000 from: Mike Hulme subject: FW: Global Temperature Rising At Record Rate-not protectively to: p.jones >From: Merylyn McKenzie Hedger >To: gjjenkins@meto.gov.uk, m.hulme@uea.ac.uk, > david_warrilow@detr.gsi.gov.uk, penny_bramwell@detr.gsi.gov.uk >Subject: FW: Global Temperature Rising At Record Rate-not protectively mar > ked >Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 09:30:03 -0000 > >This may have reached you already. >> Subject: Global Temperature Rising At Record Rate >> >> >> > CLIMATE CHANGE: Global >> > Temperature Rising At Record Rate >> > >> > The Earth's surface is warming at an "unprecedented rate" >> > that was not expected to be seen until well into the 21st >> century, >> > according to a new analysis of temperature records by US >> > scientists. >> > Throughout much of the 20th century, warming occurred at a >> > rate of just over 1 degree per century. But since 1976, warming >> > has occurred at a rate of "nearly 4 degrees per century." >> > According to Tom Karl, the US National Oceanic and >> > Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climatologist who led the >> > study, the sudden spike may indicate a "change point" at which >> > the Earth's surface begins warming at a faster rate (Usha >> > McFarling, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb). >> > The analysis will be published in the 1 March issue of the >> > journal Geophysical Research Letters. >> > Ants Leetmaa, director of the NOAA's Climate Prediction >> > Center, called the findings "intriguing" and said that if they >> > hold >> > out for the next couple of years "then it will be pretty clear >> > evidence that something really unusual is going on" (Curt >> > Suplee, Washington Post, 23 Feb). >> > The sharp increase is difficult to explain through natural >> > causes, said Jonathan Overpeck, director of the University of >> > Arizona's Institute for the Study of Planet Earth. "There is no >> > known precedent of natural forces that could have given rise to >> > the temperatures of the last decade," he said (McFarling, Los >> > Angeles Times). >> _____________________________________________________________ >> Want to find the best email lists? Check out the Topica 20! >> http://www.topica.com/topica20 >