Information on the Earth's climate has been improved recently by updates to global climate datasets, both current and historical, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports.
The January 2023 Global Climate Report, released this month by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, contains an expanded NOAA Global Temperature (NOAAGlobalTemp) dataset 5.1.0 that replaces version 5.0.0 in use since 2019, the report states. The updated dataset includes full global coverage and extends analysis of archival data back to January 1850, according to the report.
The updated NOAAGlobalTemp dataset also includes more information on the Arctic and "new scientific methods" for observing climate in regions with limited climate data," according to a Feb. 10 announcement of the changes.
"Until recently, however, monitoring environmental conditions around the Arctic and Antarctic has been more challenging due to fewer temperature observations in these regions," NCEI states in the report. "The updated version now includes data from more buoys from around the Arctic, along with enhanced methods of calculating temperatures in the Earth’s polar regions."
Improved methodologies have also allowed NCEI researchers to analyze more of the agency's archival land and ocean observations, according to the announcement, adding 30 more years to the current climate record, extending it to 1850. The extension of the climate record will provide scientists with a more extensive dataset to study climate change trends over time. This update will improve scientific understanding of climate change and inform global policies to mitigate its impact, according to the NCEI.
NOAAGlobalTemp datasets, "one of the most visible and widely used datasets to assess global climate," according to the statement, contain data from land-based weather stations around the world and data on the oceans' surfaces "from ships, buoys, surface drifters, profiling floats and other uncrewed automatic systems."
"This new version of NOAA's global surface temperature dataset is part of NCEI’s commitment to provide a complete and comprehensive perspective of the Earth’s climate," NCEI director Deke Arndt said in the announcement. “Regular updates to our datasets help us expand our understanding of our dynamic planet."
