Wednesday, November 19, 2008

NOAA: Climate of 2008

This annual Report from the Nation Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's national Climatic Data Center sets forth global weather and temperature data for the previous year. This year's findings include an increase in global temperature and a retreating arctic ice patterns. Combined global land and ocean surface average temperature for October 2008 was the second warmest since records began in 1880. combined global land and ocean surface temperature for October was 58.23 degrees F — 1.13 degrees F above the 20th century mean of 57.1 degrees F.

Arctic sea ice coverage during October was at its third lowest extent since satellite records began in 1979, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Average ice extent during October was 3.24 million square miles, which is 9.5 percent below the 1979-2000 average. The record lowest extent for October, set in 2007, was 2.55 million square miles. Arctic sea ice extent has been declining by an average of 5.4 percent per decade over the past 30 years.

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