Global Warming 36 Year Update: Atmosphere has warmed an average of 0.14 C per decade, or just over one-half degree C (0.91 degrees Fahrenheit).

Every month University of Alabama in Birmingham climatologists
John Christy and Roy Spencer publish the latest global temperature
trend data obtained from NOAA satellites. This month Christy offers
a round up of the data on global warming trends from the past 36
years. He notes:

This report represents the completion of 36 years (December 1978
through November 2014) of global temperature data collected by
microwave sounding units on NOAA and NASA satellites. During that
time the global atmosphere has warmed an average of 0.14 C
per decade, or just over one-half degree C (0.91 degrees
Fahrenheit) in 36 years (emphasis added).

That warming has not, however, been uniform around the globe.
The fastest warming has been over the Arctic Ocean and the Arctic
portions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Those areas have
warmed at the rate of 0.49 C per decade, or more than 1.76 C (about
3.17 degrees Fahrenheit) in 36 years. The fastest warming spot is
in Baffin Bay, where temperatures have risen 0.82 C per decade
since 1978.

By comparison, the oceans surrounding the Antarctic are cooling
at the rate of 0.02 C per decade, or 0.07 C since December 1978.
The fastest cooling area is in East Antarctica near Dome C, where
temperatures have been dropping at the rate of 0.50 C per
decade.

Driven in part by those contrasting regions, the Northern
Hemisphere is warming more than twice as fast as the Southern
Hemisphere (0.19 C per decade vs. 0.09 C per decade).

The contiguous 48 U.S. states have an average warming
rate of 0.22 C (almost 0.40 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade during
the past 36 years. That means the average atmospheric temperature
over the lower 48 has warmed by 0.79 C or about 1.43 degrees
Fahrenheit during that time (emphasis added).

November 2014 is second warmest November in the 36-year global
satellite temperature record. The University of Alabama in
Birmingham press release adds:

Global Temperature Report: November 2014

Global climate trend since Nov. 16, 1978: +0.14 C per decade

November temperatures (preliminary)

Global composite temp.: +0.33 C (about 0.60 degrees Fahrenheit)
above 30-year average for November.

Northern Hemisphere: +0.36 C (about 0.65 degrees Fahrenheit)
above 30-year average for November.

Southern Hemisphere: +0.30 C (about 0.54 degrees Fahrenheit)
above 30-year average for November.

Tropics: +0.25 C (about 0.45 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year
average for November.

November 2014 was the second warmest November in the 36-year
global satellite temperature record, according to Dr. John Christy,
a professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System
Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. With a
global average temperature that was 0.33 C (about 0.60 degrees
Fahrenheit) warmer than seasonal norms, November 2014 trailed only
November 2009, which averaged 0.39 C (about 0.70 degrees
Fahrenheit) warmer than seasonal norms.

The tropics slowly warmed through November in response to modest
warming in the El Niño regions of the eastern tropical Pacific
Ocean.

Note: Starting Monday, I will be doing daily dispatches from the
United Nations climate change conference in Lima, Peru.

Reason is your voice in debates about politics,
culture, and ideas. Our annual Webathon is underway and your
tax-deductible gift will help us fight against big government,
crony capitalism, the drug war, and so much more. For details
on giving levels and swag, go
here now.