2-8: The Instrument Climate Record, Uncertainties

Importance of this Unit to the Course

To provide a basis for evaluating the quality of climate models described in previous units and to understand the impact of changes in precipitation and temperature to be discussed in block 3, we need very complete and accurate long term measurements of the temperature and precipitation across the Earth. This unit provides information relating to the amount and quality of these measurements.

Objectives

To review the meteorological records taken by scientific instruments.
To understand the difficulties in constructing representative patterns of global climate variables.

Preparation for Discussion (You must complete this section before class.)

Read the summary information. (Print text for offline review; images only.)

Take the Quiz

Review additional reading material (this material is not covered in the quiz, but offers more ideas for online discussion)

Enhanced Warming at High Latitudes

Discussion (online / face-to-face) (See your portfolio for due dates and times)

A major component of the course is participation in the online dialog. The following types of comments are required:

Social Comments
Knowledge-building Comments
Ethical Comments

The following may be used as discussion starters for the online dialog:

Unit Problem to Ponder:

If temperatures used in climate studies are measured only to the nearest whole degree, why can we have any confidence in statements about changes in global temperatures amounting to only a few tenths of degrees?
Unit exam questions from previous years
Unit discussions from previous years, available from the current online discussion

Additional Reading