The Way of Warming
Posted: 6 Feb 2001
Abstract
Several lines of evidence demonstrate that the way the planet has warmed is much more important than whether or not it warms. The relative distribution of postwar warming is remarkably biased toward the cold winter air masses of Canada and Siberia. Although the overall warming trend from 1945 to 1995 was 0.051?C per decade, the warming within the cold air masses was 0.214?C per decade and the warming outside them was only 0.021?C per decade-one-tenth as much. The effects of the postwar warming have been benign or beneficial. The growing season has lengthened by about three days at U.S. latitudes and by a week at more northern locations. Warming the coldest winter air masses has also reduced the annual temperature range. Streamflow records indicate decreased drought and no change in floods. And heat-related deaths decline with effective temperature.
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