Thaindian News

Washington, Nov 20 (IANS)Isolating the human imprint on global warming amid natural climate fluctuations requires long-term analysis and not short term studies, satellite data reveals.

The data indicates that the lower troposphere (up to eight km above the earth’s surface) has warmed roughly by 17 degrees Celsius since the beginning of satellite temperature records in 1979.

This increase is entirely consistent with the warming of Earth’s surface estimated from thermometer records, the Journal of Geophysical Research (Atmospheres) reported.

Recently, some critics have argued that there has been little or no warming over the last 10 to 12 years, that computer models of the climate system are not capable of simulating such short “hiatus periods,” said Benjamin Santer, a climate scientist at American Livermore Lab.

“Looking at a single, noisy 10-year period is cherry picking, and does not provide reliable information about the presence or absence of human effects on climate,” said Santer, who led the study.

American scientists analyzed satellite records of the lower troposphere temperature and saw a clear signal of the human-induced warming, they focused on the behaviour of our temperature since 1998, a university statement said.