Satellite Temperature Data

by Dr. John R. Christy and Dr. Roy Spencer
April 17, 2006

In 1989, Dr. Roy Spencer and Dr. John Christy developed a global temperature data set from satellite microwave data beginning in 1979, which showed little or no warming above the surface. In August 2005, three papers appeared in Science to challenge their findings. Mears & Wentz?s paper in particular addressed what they considered a large source of uncertainty in Christy and Spencer?s satellite estimate for global lower tropospheric temperature trends. Spencer and Christy have implemented new corrections to their method; as a result their temperature trends have risen slightly from +.09 to +.12 deg. C/Decade ? still below the RSS estimate of +.19 deg. C/Decade as of mid-2005.

Dr. Christy and Dr. Spencer addressed several climate issues including new regional surface temperature analysis, the effect of satellite adjustments on UAH temperature changes in the atmosphere, differences in these changes at various levels in the atmosphere, new (in-press) comparison results which enhance confidence in the UAH data and comparison results which enhance confidence in the UAH data, and our understanding of the causes of these changes and differences.

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