Into the Anthropocene; Observing and interpreting the historical record of temperature and other climate indicators (co-organized)

Session CL1.01/AS4.9/CR1.12/HS7.9/OS1.13

Conveners: Gabriele Hegerl, Darren Ghent
Co-Conveners: Stefan Bronnimann, Stephan Matthiesen, Janette Bessembinder, Nick Rayner, G.C. Hulley , Simon Hook

• Orals / Wed, 26 Apr, 13:30–15:00 / Room 0.14
• Posters / Attendance Wed, 26 Apr, 17:30–19:00 / Hall X5

This session focuses on observing surface temperature and on analysis and interpretation of temperature change, heat waves and rainfall changes and extremes over the entire instrumental record.

Surface temperature (ST) is a critical variable for studying the energy and water balances of the Earth surface, and underpinning many aspects of climate research and services. The overarching motivation for this session is the need for better understanding of in-situ measurements and satellite observations to quantify ST. The term “surface temperature” encompasses several distinct temperatures that differently characterize even a single place and time on Earth’s surface, as well as encompassing different domains of Earth’s surface (surface air, sea, land, lakes and ice). Different surface temperatures play inter-connected yet distinct roles in the Earth’s surface system, and are observed with different complementary techniques.

The EarthTemp network was established in 2012 to stimulate new international collaboration in measuring and better understanding ST across all domains of the Earth’s surface including air, land, sea, lakes, ice.] Knowledge gained during this EarthTemp session will be documented and published as part of the user requirements exercises for such projects and will thus benefit the wider community. A focus of this session is the use of ST’s for assessing variability and long-term trends in the Earth system. In this sense this session addresses the long view of climate variability and change as available from long records, reconstructions, reanalysis efforts and modelling, and we welcome analysis of temperature, precipitation, extreme events, sea ice, and ocean We anticipate that bringing observational, modelling and analysis results together will improve understanding and prediction of the interplay of climate variability and change. In addition there will be opportunity for users of surface temperature over any surface of Earth on all space and timescales to showcase their use of the data and their results, to learn from each others’ practice and to communicate their needs for improvements to developers of surface temperature products.