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Here are the graphs to the actual data: https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs/ https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs/ I never understand why these arti

Here are the graphs to the actual data: https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs/ https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs/ I never understand why these article don't just provide you with the sources where this data was captured...let alone the actual data used. I guess we are just suppose to "believe" them?

saycheese 10y ago
Because it would make it easier for competitors to source the information and the average reader likely doesn't care to fact check, dig deeper, etc.
minikites 10y ago
>I guess we are just suppose to "believe" them? That's generally the purpose of a journalistic organization, yes.
r_smart 10y ago
Thanks for tracking this down. It would be one thing if journalists on the science beat were generally accurate and reliable, but they get so much stuff wrong all the time. edit: Do you (or anyone else) know why they choose their zero point the way they do? If the graph is going back to 1880, why not just call that the zero? The closest year I could find that was at 0 was 1972 at +0.01C. Is it supposed to be based around when the satellites started taking measurements or something?
- mikeash 10y ago
  I believe that's what the linked paper is referring to by "base period" which it discusses a bit on page 2: https://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2010/2010_Hansen_ha00510u.pdf https://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2010/2010_Hansen_ha00510u.pd... If I understand it correctly, the 0 point is the average of the period from 1951 to 1980, which was chosen relatively arbitrarily based on when research on this stuff began in earnest, but is about as early as it can reasonably be.
- roter 10y ago
  Zero represents the 30-year mean of the years 1951-1980, i.e. some representation of a recent baseline climatology. Choosing 1880, or any other year, might skew perception positively or negatively. From the Earth Observatory [0]: > The period of 1951-1980 was chosen largely because the U.S. National Weather Service uses a three-decade period to define “normal” or average temperature. The GISS temperature analysis effort began around 1980, so the most recent 30 years was 1951-1980. It is also a period when many of today’s adults grew up, so it is a common reference that many people can remember. [0] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/decadaltemp.php http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/deca...

saycheese 10y ago

Because it would make it easier for competitors to source the information and the average reader likely doesn't care to fact check, dig deeper, etc.

minikites 10y ago

>I guess we are just suppose to "believe" them? That's generally the purpose of a journalistic organization, yes.

r_smart 10y ago

Thanks for tracking this down. It would be one thing if journalists on the science beat were generally accurate and reliable, but they get so much stuff wrong all the time. edit: Do you (or anyone else) know why they choose their zero point the way they do? If the graph is going back to 1880, why not just call that the zero? The closest year I could find that was at 0 was 1972 at +0.01C. Is it supposed to be based around when the satellites started taking measurements or something?

mikeash 10y ago
I believe that's what the linked paper is referring to by "base period" which it discusses a bit on page 2: https://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2010/2010_Hansen_ha00510u.pdf https://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2010/2010_Hansen_ha00510u.pd... If I understand it correctly, the 0 point is the average of the period from 1951 to 1980, which was chosen relatively arbitrarily based on when research on this stuff began in earnest, but is about as early as it can reasonably be.
roter 10y ago
Zero represents the 30-year mean of the years 1951-1980, i.e. some representation of a recent baseline climatology. Choosing 1880, or any other year, might skew perception positively or negatively. From the Earth Observatory [0]: > The period of 1951-1980 was chosen largely because the U.S. National Weather Service uses a three-decade period to define “normal” or average temperature. The GISS temperature analysis effort began around 1980, so the most recent 30 years was 1951-1980. It is also a period when many of today’s adults grew up, so it is a common reference that many people can remember. [0] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/decadaltemp.php http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/deca...