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CAMEL
Module #4 - Global Average Temperature (LAB)
Module Title
Summary
Short Description
Global Average Temperature: A Centuries Data, a Contemporary
Debate
In this lab, students learn how to examine the global temperature
record from 1880 to present. Students probe long-term trends
and shorter-term temperature changes. Through this lab,
students will understand how to seek out and find the effects of
climate shifts and mechanisms of natural variability on Earth’s
surface temperature.
In addition, as either a component of the lab or as a linked
activity delivered in a separate module, students will debate
global warming. Is globally averaged temperature changing
enough to demonstrate that humankind is modifying Earth’s
climate? Should scientists be actively designing mitigation and
adaptation strategies?
Develop the skills necessary to evaluate global average
temperature. Debate the significance of temperature variations
on climate change.
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Learning Goals
Students will learn the following:
 To analyze temperature data for magnitude, significant
fluctuations over a century
 To review major global temperature events - volcanic
eruptions and El Nino years - and evaluate their significance
 To plot and examine global temperature trends as well as
hemispheric/regional temperature changes
 To use GISS to explore spatial and temporal temperature
trends

Context for Use
Description and Teaching
Materials
To effectively argue whether or not global climate change is
real or ephemeral
The format suggested for this lesson is a lab based course. Since
it requires no laboratory equipment, the class size can range from
a small student seminar to a medium sized lecture hall. The only
mitigating factor related to class size is the necessity for each
student (or perhaps pairs if the instructor elects to make the lab
report a paired activity) to have a computer terminal. The class
does not need to have a SmartBoard or LCD projector, since the
lab work will be conducted at individual computers, but access to
multimedia equipment is preferred (particularly when guiding
setup for GISS mapping). The lab component will take at least
one hour, but more than likely ninety minutes. The debate,
therefore, would have to be a separate activity (depending upon
the time of the class - if it’s a three credit hour class, it would
vary from two to three hour meetings per week). A basic
understanding of global climate and climate change is necessary.
Instructors should review Columbia University’s Earth
Environmental Systems Climate (EESC) course lectures Climate
Change Part I and Climate Change Part II.
Description and Teaching Materials:
The structure and primary components making up this lab lesson
are sourced from the EESC course, Lab # 8: Globally-Averaged
Temperature.
Prior to lab, an introduction to the lab provides students with a
review of the key terminology necessary for understanding the
content as well as how to write-up the report. It’s recommended
that professors/instructors. Key terms include: temperature
record, climate forcing, natural variability, and regional
differences.
The lab itself is composed of three sections and seven tasks.
Below is a brief summation of each:
A. Fluctuations of the global climate
Task 1: After downloading the data file, students select ten nonsuccessive years at random from the global temperature column
and compare the data for each year to that of the following year
selected (for example, 1871 to 1872, 1925-1926, etc.). Note the
typical magnitude from year to year, the number of times
temperature increases/decreases year-to-year, the five
warmest/coldest years on record.
 What is the typical magnitude (i.e., ignoring the sign) of
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year-to-year global temperature changes?
Of your 10 years, how many times did the temperature
increase/decrease in the following year?
What are the 5 warmest years in the record? The 5
coldest? Have we come anywhere close to having one of
the coldest years in the record during your lifetime?
Task 2: Students choose three volcanic eruptions since 1880
from a list provided and plot a graph of the average annual global
temperature from one year prior to the eruption to five years
afterward. Then answer: (a) what is the typical magnitude and
sign (warming or cooling) of the effect of volcanoes on global
climate (EESC, Lab #8) (b) estimate how long a volcanic
eruption affects global temperature based on the years plotted.
Task 3: Using a list of El Nino years in recent times, students
select three (excluding those during the year of a major volcanic
eruption).
1883 Krakatau
1890 Unidentified
1902 Soufriere/Pelee
1902 Santa Maria
1912 Katmai
1963 Agung
1968 Fernandina Island
1982 El Chichon
1991 Pinatubo
Using the 1992 Pinatubo eruption and two others chosen from
the dates above, plot the average annual global temperature from
one year prior to the eruption and 5 years afterward. This will
give you one graph with three time series. (Remember that for
this lab, you will put all graphs that you made in Excel into your
lab report.)
 What is the typical magnitude and sign (warming or
cooling) of the effect of volcanoes on global climate?
 Estimate how long a volcanic eruption affects global
temperature based on the years that you have plotted.
Task 3: Following is a list of El Niño years in recent times:
1951, 1953, 1957, 1963, 1965, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1983, 1987,
1991, 1997-1998, 2002-2003, 2006-2007. (For El Niño events
starting near Christmas time, the following year is listed, since
that is when the peak temperature anomaly usually occurs.)
Choose three El Niño events (not ones that occurred during the
year of a major volcanic eruption, shown above in bold)
 Note the average annual global temperature for the El
Niño year, for the year before the El Niño year, and for
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the year after the El Niño event (no graph needed here).
Can El Niño be detected in the global temperature even
though it is essentially a tropical phenomenon?
What is its general effect on global temperature (warming
or cooling)?
B. Global Temperature Trends
Task 4: Plot global temperature vs. time for the years 18802009.
 How would you describe the general appearance of this
plot? Describe the major features of the global
temperature time series.
 Now add a trendline to the plot. What is the warming
trend in °C per century?
 Make an additional plot of annual global temperature vs.
time for only the years 1975-2009 and add a trendline.
How does the slope compare to the one you determined
for the 1880-2009 period?
 Does the rate of warming appear to be increasing or
decreasing during the period of observational record
(look at the linear slopes you just calculated)?
C. Hemispheric and Regional Temperature Changes
Task 5: Make a plot of the annual temperature time series in the
Northern and Southern hemispheres from 1880-2009. Add
trendlines to both plots.
 Compare the warming trends (in °C per century) to what
you determined for the globe (from Task 4).
 Does one hemisphere warm faster than the other, or do
both warm at equal rates? (Be sure to look at the second
half of the 20th century).
Task 6: Go to the GISS website and click on the "Global Maps"
link on the right side of the browser window. After clicking on
the link, you will be shown a field of tabs that should be changed
to give the following configuration.
Once you have made the correct tab selections, click on “Make
Map” to observe the spatial trends in temperature from 18802009.
 Describe what you see, focusing on areas where the most
warming has occurred (areas with more than 2 °C
warming).
 Have the landmasses or oceans warmed more over the
observational period? Estimate the average warming of
landmass versus ocean. What is the difference?
Next, go back to the front page for the GISS dataset in a new
browser window. Click on the link to the “Time Series of Zonal
Means.” Click on the “Show Map” button to plot the zonal
means of the instrumental data. Compare the anomalies map
(top) to the plot of zonal means (bottom).
 Does the zonal means plot tell a similar story about the
regions where the most warming has occurred?
Task 7: Now consider the El Niño years that you investigated in
Task 3. Pick two years that you would like to investigate from
the list, but exclude from your choices those events that are split
between two calendar years. Go back to the setup page for the
global maps and reconfigure your tabs to look as follows (this is
an example for 1977):
For each of the El Niño events that you have picked, make a
global map for that year. For comparison, make a map of the
year directly following each El Niño event as well. Please
include these maps in your report (four total).
 What are the most striking features that are generally
shared in both of the El Niño events you have
investigated?
Post Tasks: If time allows, or as spiraling activity taking place in
the subsequent class, debate global climate change. The central
debate question would be: are humankind’s activities modifying
the earth’s climate? The discussion questions could be separated
and converted into pro and con points. Basic classroom debate
rules, protocol (including suggested classroom setup), roles and
an intro for students can be found at the classroom resources site
listed below.
Discussion questions:
 Does it seem possible to predict whether next year is going
to be warmer than this year globally? Why or why not?
 What are the observed effects of volcanoes on the climate
system? How do these effects vary spatially and temporally,
and why?
 Why do the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have
different warming rates?
 Describe the major forcings that affect the region where the
most warming has occurred (from Task 6) focusing on what
makes this area particularly sensitive.
 What anthropogenic and natural factors could influence the
amount of global warming over the coming century?
 How many years would you estimate are necessary to get an
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accurate picture of warming over the 20th century? Explain
your reasoning.
Are there features that you can say are unique to the El Niño
events and others that might be harder to specifically ascribe
to an El Niño event? Explain your reasoning.
Are there features that you can say are unique to the El Niño
events and others that might be harder to specifically ascribe
to an El Niño event? Explain your reasoning.
Below are the links for source material and resources:
 EESC course page: https://courseworks.columbia.edu/cms/
 GISS: http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/
 Debate materials:
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson304.s
html
Handouts and Directions:
 Lab instructions (including data, GISS screenshots)
 Debate instructions (if applicable)
Background Information for instructors/TAs:
Instructors/TAs may find it useful to refer to the following EESC
course materials:
 Climate Changes: Past, Present, and Future Part I
 Climate Changes: Past, Present, and Future Part II
 Lab #8 Globally-Averaged Temperature Introduction
Equipment/Supplies:
Data Lab
 Computer lab or moveable laptops with Internet access and
Excel.
 LCD projector
 Handouts - lab instructions and data
 “Writing a Lab Report” (should have already been
disseminated)
Teaching Tips and Notes
Assessment
References and Resources
Debate (if applicable)
 Instructions
See background information for instructors/TAs.
Students summarize their findings in a lab report.
All resources cited in the description of the course.