Global, Hemispheric, and Zonal Temperature Deviations Derived From Radiosonde Records

Surface temperatures and thickness-derived temperatures from a 54-station, globally distributed radiosonde network have been used to estimate global, hemispheric, and zonal annual and seasonal temperature deviations. Most of the temperature values used were column-mean temperatures, obtained from the differences in height (thickness) between constant-pressure surfaces at individual radiosonde stations. The pressure-height data before 1980 were obtained from published values in Monthly Climatic Data for the World. Between 1980 and 1990, Angell used data from both the Climatic Data for the World and the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) Network received at the National Meteorological Center. Between 1990 and 1995, the data were obtained only from GTS, and since 1995 the data have been obtained from National Center for Atmospheric Research files. The data are evaluated as deviations from the mean based on the interval 1961-1990. Time series for the earth's surface, and the 850-300mb, 300-100mb and 100-50mb layers are presented for north polar (60-90N), north temperate (30-60N), tropical (30S-30N), south temperate (30-60S) and south polar (60-90S) climate zones, as well as for the Northern and Southern hemispheres and the globe. The data presentation is more compact than in the case of Angell's 63-station network, with two fewer layers and three fewer climate zones, for a total of eight time series. CITE AS: Angell, J.K. 2012. Global, hemispheric, and zonal temperature deviations derived from a 54-station radiosonde network. In Trends Online: A Compendium of Data on Global Change. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A. doi: 10.3334/CDIAC/cli.005