GISS temperatures

 

Global monthly average surface air temperature since 1979 according to the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), at Columbia University, New York City, USA. GISS is a laboratory of the Earth-Sun Exploration Division of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and a unit of the Columbia University Earth Institute. The thick line is the simple running 37 month average, nearly corresponding to a running 3 yr average. The cooling and warming periods directly influenced by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption and the 1998 El Niño, respectively, are visible, but not as clear as in all other records shown above, especially the two satellite records. Discussions of reasons why the GISS temperature estimate differs from other estimates can be read by clicking here, here and here. IPCC = foundation of the International Panel on Climate Change (November 1988). Base period: 1951-1980.