OT: Weather in the North

[aostling]

Evan,

The abscissa shows data for about 17 months, from Jan 2000 to July 2001, but is labeled as "months since 1964." This confuses me, since there have been about 530 months since 1964.

There are 44 cycles to the data, suggesting that it covers the 1964-2009 period.

Something seems mislabeled.

[Evan]

It is mislabeled. The graph shows the year means but the data was calculated from the monthly means as provided in the data set. I don't know what happened with the labeling. I really don't like Excel very much. I'll see what I can do with it tonight when I am "sleeping".

[aostling]

I really don't like Excel very much. I'll see what I can do with it tonight when I am "sleeping".

No harm done. I don't like Excel plotting either. The validity of your argument will not change with a re-labeling.

[Evan]

I have been playing with it. I cannot produce a readable graph that shows all the data points, it is too cluttered. I cannot make it correctly label the X axis with the date even if I enter the limits manually. It just resets the values to defaults.

I should explain more clearly what is shown in the above graph. The variation seen yearly is the mean low temperature of each month which of course is low in winter and high in summer hence the large swings below and above the zero line.

[John Stevenson]

So what does this prove in regards to anything you can do about it ?
.

[Evan]

It's getting warmer. There are a very wide variety of implications, both positive and negative. Some are obvious, some not. Trees are dying which will have a direct impact on the availability of lumber in the long term. Animals are surviving creating plagues of mice and large herds of deer. This increases the large predator hazard in this area, especially cougar which have been seen regularly in the last few years. Keeping a rifle handy is a good plan. The chanch of forest fire is increasing so removing trees near the house is a very good idea.

As for actually doing something to effect change in the climate itself, nothing we can do will make a short term difference. There is plenty one can do to prepare and react to the changes.

[philbur]

Evan this is not supported by your own data. There is a clear step in the data approximately 3/4 of the way across. Before and after that point look pretty constant to me. Average the data separately and see if you get two horizontal lines.

Phil

Climate cycles tend to rise and fall gradually, not precipitously. If this trend follows the usual pattern of climate change it can be expected to continue increasing for quite a while.

[Evan]

It isn't my data, it is Environment Canada's data. I found another download that extends the good data to 1961 and have managed to format a chart that shows all the data points as well as the years.

[aboard_epsilon]

we are talking 100's of thousands of years here ..

1961 -on ..........dont prove didley squat .. nor does 1861

all the best.markj

[Evan]

Then why is all the forest dying here? Forest that has been here for thousands of years.