MathBench > Climate Change

Hockey Stick

A warming world


So we had a few centuries of colder-than-average weather. Does that mean our current warm weather is just some sort of rebound effect?

Look at the Mann graph again -- are the red temperatures representing the instrumental record a "return to normal?"

Hockey Stick Graph

So how much has temperature changed since about 1950?

1900-1950
1950-2000
overall change

Again, remember that may seem like a small change -- but we are talking about a half-the-world, year-round average, and just "normal" highs, not heat waves. Also remember that land mass heats up faster than water -- so while 2/3 of our planet is covered with water, the temperature change is focused on the 1/3 that we live on.

What does this graph predict about the future?