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Movie TranscriptObjectives: Students will be able to describe how the global average temperature has changed over the past century. Text: Earth’s average global temperature changes over long periods of time. See if you can describe how the global average temperature of earth has changed over the past century. Past data records indicate that the global annual temperature of earth has increased throughout this century. The current global annual temperature is based on temperature records from weather stations, ships, and satellites averaged over the whole globe for a calendar year. Temperature measurements taken on land show that the average annual temperature has increased 1° C since the 1880s. During this time, the global annual temperature rose from an average value of 13.6 to 14.6° Celsius. The largest increase occurred between 1960 and the present when temperatures increased 0.7° Celsius in just 40 years. During the previous 80 years, temperatures had risen by 0.3° Celsius. Ocean surface temperature data from ships and satellite combined with land station data between 1951 and the present support similar increases in the global average temperature. Changes in temperature of about one degree Celsius are not large enough for an individual to notice. However, they can have dramatic consequences, affecting the occurrence of extreme weather events. In summary, temperature records indicate the global annual temperatures have been increasing since the 1880s. This increase may have severe impacts on local and regional weather conditions. |
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