The figure above shows the monthly temperature deviations from a seasonally adjusted average for the lower stratosphere - Earth's atmosphere from 14 to 22 km (9 to 14 miles). Red is an increase in the average temperature, and blue is a decrease in average temperature. The large increase in 1982 was caused by the volcanic eruption of El Chichon, and the increase in 1991 was caused by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines. December 1997 and January 1998, were the coldest months on record for the stratosphere. (If you click on the chart above, you will get the data with which the chart was created.) The global trend derived from these data for the stratosphere is -0.493^oC per decade.

This chart shows the monthly temperature changes for the lower troposphere - Earth's atmosphere from the surface to 8 km, or 5 miles up. The temperature in this region is more strongly influenced by oceanic activity, particularly the "El Niño" and "La Niña" phenomena, which originate as changes in oceanic and atmospheric circulations in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The overall trend in the lower tropospheric data is approximately steady, at about +0.047^oC per decade. Click on the charts to get the numerical data.

Surface thermometer measurements indicate that the temperature of the Earth is warming, while the satellite data show no significant long-term trends. These differences are the basis for discussions over the existence and magnitude of any global warming the Earth may be experiencing as a result of human activity. This page, updated monthly, will continue to provide the latest temperature measurements of various layers of the Earth's atmosphere from space.

We have a Java-based tool that allows you to interact with the Global Temperature Variations Data Set. Using this tool you can examine temperature variations from average at single locations on the globe or you may look at region averaged values. You can examine atmospheric temperature features for both the lower troposphere and the lower stratosphere in either degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius.

The data used were obtained by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration TIROS-N satellite, and interpreted by scientists Dr. Roy Spencer (NASA) and Dr. John Christy (University of Alabama at Huntsville) at the Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC), a cooperative laboratory involving NASA, the Alabama Space Science and Technology Alliance, and private industry.

• Measuring the Temperature of Earth From Space Even with needed corrections, data still don't show the expected signature of global warming (posted August 13, 1998)
• December 1997 is Coldest Month on Record in the Stratosphere (posted Jan 20, 1998)
• Is Earth's Temperature Up or Down or Both? Scientist's investigate reasons for temperature trend "disagreements" between layers of the atmosphere (posted Feb 5, 1997)
• schematic of layers of Earth's atmosphere
• Java tool for global atmospheric temperature maps examine atmospheric temperature features
• The Global Hydrology and Climate Center

external links

• What is an El Niño? Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory/National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration
• What is La Niña? PMEL/NOAA
• El Chichon (Volcano World)
• Mt. Pinatubo (Volcano World)

return to Science@NASA Home

Author: Dr. Roy Spencer
Curator: Bryan Walls
NASA Official: John M. Horack