Open AccessA Comparison of Local and Regional Trends in Surface and Lower-Tropospheric Temperatures in Western North Carolina
Author(s) -
David R. Easterling,
Grant Goodge,
Matthew J. Menne,
Claude N. Williams,
David H. Levinson
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
earth interactions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.309
H-Index - 38
ISSN - 1087-3562
DOI - 10.1175/ei161.1
Subject(s) - troposphere , environmental science , depth sounding , climatology , satellite , homogeneous , meteorology , geography , geology , physics , cartography , aerospace engineering , engineering , thermodynamics
Temperature time series for stations in western North Carolina are used to evaluate the potential for an urban signal in the local temperature trend, and to compare a homogeneous temperature record from a mountain-top station to two versions of the lower-tropospheric, satellite-derived temperatures from the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU). Results regarding the urban signal are in agreement with the conclusion from previous investigations that after a location is urbanized, the local temperature trend is consistent with trends derived from surrounding, more rural stations. With respect to the mountain top and lower-tropospheric temperature comparison, the magnitudes of the two MSU-derived trends for the western North Carolina area are closer to the average annual minimum temperature trend than to the annual average maximum temperature trend.