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2015 “smashed” 2014’s global temperature record

washingtonpost.com

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Re: 2015 “smashed” 2014’s global temperature record

#3
Okay - help someone that doesn't truly understand this.

Earth's surface can gain heat through 4 ways I can think of (and this is just what I can think of and is likely wrong):

1) Geothermal brings more heat from core/mantle up. I don't think this is currently any larger than normal, nor do I imagine this varies much.

2) Oceans can give up heat they are storing and provide it on the surface. I don't know if El Nino is this, or if that just means "surface" ocean temperatures are up from whatever source.

3) Solar radiation (including infrared) can be higher than normal. I honestly have no idea if there's any significant variation in this, ever.

4) Earth can retain more heat that it was previously (global warming, be it man-made or not)

When they say the annual variation is usually hundredths of a degree, that sounds to me like 1-3 are generally non-factors, but that's all gut interpretation. Can someone with actual knowledge validate this?

Re: 2015 “smashed” 2014’s global temperature record

#6
I live in one of those "Record Warmest" boxes, it really was hot during the past year.

Its funny how people you would consider uneducated and poor in my country would understand that there is clearly something going wrong with the world around us, while some people with lots of money, influence and education choose to believe that this is all a conspiracy by a foreign government.

It's just nuts, really, something is terribly wrong with our world, and we need to fix it.

Please, if you have the time, please join a local group that helps conserve the environment, learn how you could help reduce your carbon footprint, even a little could go a long way.

Re: 2015 “smashed” 2014’s global temperature record

#7

I live in one of those "Record Warmest" boxes, it really was hot during the past year. Its funny how people you would consider uneducated and poor in my country would understand that there is clearly something going wrong with the world around us, while some people with lots of money, influence and education choose to believe that this is all a conspiracy by a foreign government. It's just nuts, really, something is…

>I live in one of those "Record Warmest" boxes, it really was hot during the past year.

You can sense a 0.23 degree F average temperature difference? Or maybe you are unhelpfully confusing weather with climate?

Re: 2015 “smashed” 2014’s global temperature record

#8
post #3

Okay - help someone that doesn't truly understand this. Earth's surface can gain heat through 4 ways I can think of (and this is just what I can think of and is likely wrong): 1) Geothermal brings more heat from core/mantle up. I don't think this is currently any larger than normal, nor do I imagine this varies much. 2) Oceans can give up heat they are storing and provide it on the surface. I don't know if El Nino is…

Solar radiation is variable but it's pretty predictable. There's an 11-year sunspot cycle that accounts for most of that variation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cycle

Oceans so far have been storing heat, and keeping the average temperature increase down. No one knows how long that will continue. They also store a fair bit of CO2 which has lead to acidification. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_acidification

I think this Ars Technica article does a better job of showing how short-term weather patterns like El Niño and La Niña cause variations from the overall trend https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/01/2015-was-official-th...

Re: 2015 “smashed” 2014’s global temperature record

#9
post #3

Okay - help someone that doesn't truly understand this. Earth's surface can gain heat through 4 ways I can think of (and this is just what I can think of and is likely wrong): 1) Geothermal brings more heat from core/mantle up. I don't think this is currently any larger than normal, nor do I imagine this varies much. 2) Oceans can give up heat they are storing and provide it on the surface. I don't know if El Nino is…

I second that. Any real climatologists on HN?

Re: 2015 “smashed” 2014’s global temperature record

#10
post #3

Okay - help someone that doesn't truly understand this. Earth's surface can gain heat through 4 ways I can think of (and this is just what I can think of and is likely wrong): 1) Geothermal brings more heat from core/mantle up. I don't think this is currently any larger than normal, nor do I imagine this varies much. 2) Oceans can give up heat they are storing and provide it on the surface. I don't know if El Nino is…

4) is the biggest, yes. 3) does vary a bit ("Maunder minimum"). 2) is the other way round - the oceans are a big stabiliser of temperature.

A subtlety of (4) is the feedback loops, especially involving water. Water vapor increases heat retention and is increased by heat, but this is where weather interacts with climate and it gets non-linear.

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