Key Temperature Claim Against Global Warming Evaporates - MSNBC

[hatrack]

For years, skeptics of global warming have used satellite and weather balloon data to argue that climate models were wrong and that global warming isn't really happening. Now, according to three new studies published in the journal Science, it turns out those conclusions based on satellite and weather balloon data were based on faulty analyses.

The atmosphere is indeed warming, not cooling as the data previously showed. While surface thermometers have clearly shown that the Earth's surface is warming, satellite and weather balloon data have actually suggested the opposite, that the atmosphere was cooling.

Scientists were left with two choices: either the atmosphere wasn't warming up, or something was wrong with the data. "But most people had to conclude, based on the fact that there were both satellite and balloon observations, that it really wasn't warming up," said Steven Sherwood, a geologists at Yale University and lead author of one of the studies. Sherwood examined weather balloons known as radiosondes, which are capable of making direct measurements of atmospheric temperatures. For the past 40 years, radiosonde temperature data have been collected from around the world twice each day, once during the day and once at night.

But while nighttime radiosonde measurements were consistent with climate models and theories showing a general warming trend, daytime measurements actually showed the atmosphere to be cooling since the 1970's. Sherwood explains these discrepancies by pointing out that the older radiosonde instruments used in the 1970's were not as well shielded from sunlight as more recent models. What this means as that older radiosondes showed warmer temperature readings during the day because they were warmed by sunlight. "It's like being outside on a hot day—it feels hotter when you are standing in the direct sun than when you are standing in the shade," Sherwood said.

EDIT

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8917093/

[wtmusic]

1. oops

sorry about fucking up the world...can we still sign on to that Kyoto thingie? :eyes:

[PunkPop]

2. This seems rather simple.

You mean they're just now figuring out that their readings were skewed because the older devices were not shielded from sunlight???

I mean, DUH!

[Viking12]

4. It's a bit more complicated than that...

There have been a series of satellites, some did not overlap in their flight so it has been difficult to calibrate measurements. In addition there have been issues of orbital decay, sensor issues etc..

RealClimate has a nice summary of new studies...
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=170#comments

[The White Tree]

3. Check out Yahoos headline:

Scientists find errors in global warming data
<http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20050812/tc_usatoday/scientistsfinderrorsinglobalwarmingdata>

Doesn't that sound like the errors are with data showing global warming as opposed to what the article is about which is clearing up the issue of descrepencies that obscured global warming was occuring?

Who came up with that headline

I can't beleive they couldn't headline it more like the MSNBC article. When I first saw it I was like - what is this garbage now. Then I read the article and realized the misleading headline.

Edited for spelling and clarification.