Shifting Distribution of Land Temperature Anomalies, 1951-2020
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- Visualizations by:
- Mark SubbaRao
- View full credits
This visualization shows how the distribution of land temperature anomalies has varied over time. As the planet has warmed, we see the peak of the distribution shifting to the right. The distribution of temperatures broadens as well. This broadening is most likely due to differential regional warming rather than increased temperature variability at any given location.
These distributions are calculated from the Goddard Institute of Space Studies GISTEMP surface temperature analysis. Distributions are determined for each year using a kernal density esitmator, and we morph between those distributions in the animation.
NASA’s full surface temperature data set – and the complete methodology used to make the temperature calculation – are available at: https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp
GISS is a NASA laboratory managed by the Earth Sciences Division of the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.
The python based Jupyter Notebook used to create these visualizations is available. Click here to download.
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
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Visualizer
- Mark SubbaRao (NASA/GSFC) [Lead]
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Scientists
- Gavin A. Schmidt (NASA/GSFC GISS)
- Helga (Kikki) Kleiven (University of Bergen)
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Project support
- Leann Johnson (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)
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Technical support
- Ian Jones (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
- Laurence Schuler (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
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Advisor
- Peter H. Jacobs (NASA/GSFC)
Datasets used in this visualization
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GISTEMP
ID: 585
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details, nor the data sets themselves on our site.