Past Decade Warmest on Record

[havelock]

The 2009 State of the Climate report released today draws on data for 10 key climate indicators that all point to the same finding: the scientific evidence that our world is warming is unmistakable. More than 300 scientists from 160 research groups in 48 countries contributed to the report, which confirms that the past decade was the warmest on record and that the Earth has been growing warmer over the last 50 years.

Based on comprehensive data from multiple sources, the report defines 10 measurable planet-wide features used to gauge global temperature changes. The relative movement of each of these indicators proves consistent with a warming world. Seven indicators are rising: air temperature over land, sea-surface temperature, air temperature over oceans, sea level, ocean heat, humidity and tropospheric temperature in the “active-weather” layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth’s surface. Three indicators are declining: Arctic sea ice, glaciers and spring snow cover in the Northern hemisphere.

More details can be found here www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100728_stateoftheclimate.html

[havelock]

This is a very interesting graph.

You have, in other threads, criticised graphs for not having a y-axis that starts at zero. Do you think that if this graph had such a thing it would show that there is an almost flat line?

Here is another graph of hurricane activity from www.skepticalscience.com/hurricanes-global-warming.htm

It does have a y-axis that starts at zero and it also goes back to the 1850s (rather than the 1970s as yours does). Agreed it is only the North Atlantic but it does illustrate that the link between the number and intensity of hurricanes and climate change is not fully understood.

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[havelock]

Not sure of the relevance of this graph to the thread - perhaps you could explain?