RSS finds the same general shape as the BoM mean anomaly – when you make a mean anomaly map for March at the BoM you see Perth and Hobart were warmest.
The Time Series chart shows the BoM anomaly was about +0.75 degrees. Fascinating that there should be such a difference with RSS – considering the lower troposphere is such a gossamer thin skin when considered on the scale of our wide brown land.
Interesting too that RSS found all three southern hemisphere land masses were cool in March. I bet the big surface datasets will not agree.
Not sure what the reference period for the RSS Map is but some clues are here.
www.remss.com/measurements/upper-air-temperature
The BoM period would align best with the now taboo to remember, 70s ice age scare.
According to here: www.ncdc.noaa.gov/temp-and-precip/msu/ the base period for RSS is still 1979-98, and that looks right from the graphs siliggy links to. Other satellite series are already on 1981-2010, which is line with the usual practice of taking the three most recent whole decades. The BoM base period is still 1961-90. That’s a very old base period by international standards – it finishes nearly a quarter of century before the data now being shown. But as sigilly says, they wouldn’t want to shift it till after the cool 70s were over, would they?
Any particular reason the Andes and Himalayas are excluded?? If the glaciers are melting they should be WARM, right?? 8>)
Not much lower troposphere (up to 500 millibars) over Tibet and the Alto Plano.
Hmm.. So the Australian region March 2014 had an 850 hpa anomaly of minus 1.38 deg c
www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/cmb.cgi?page=map&variable=850t&vstatus=anomaly&period=month&area=nat
and this is also evident on the global data
ftp.bom.gov.au/anon/home/ncc/www/cmb/850t/anomaly/month/colour/latest.global.gif
www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/cmb.cgi?page=map&variable=850t&vstatus=anomaly&period=month&area=global
actually feb 2014 also had a cool anomaly at 850hpa
www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/cmb.cgi?page=oldmap&variable=850t&vstatus=anomaly&period=month&area=nat&steps=1
Is the RSS measuring surface temps OR 850hpa?
Here is the RSS chart of where the bulk of their TLT readings fit heightwise
images.remss.com/msu/msu_time_series.html
just eyeballing it the peak is a bit above 850mb
See this table of Standard Heights
www.boqueteweather.com/millibars_altitude.htm
This difference chart shows a divergence in 2013 from a long established range.
Chart replaced early on 7th to show a better 12 mon av line stopping where it should. The original was generated by Excel using the CHART – ADD TRENDLINE function which I usually do not use.
Does BOM use the same climatology when minusing the RSS lower troposophere?
RSS uses 1979 to1998
ACORN started in 2012 you say . I suppose that’s why the graph spikes in 2013?
and only a hundred or so weather stations make up the ACORN data set. The position of those stations will affect the result.
Changing the goal posts.. Very difficult to keep up with this. A highly technical field. Thanks for your blog. A chance to chew these things over
———————
more comments emerging about the Sydney observatory hill site
is this an ACORN site
Can you run a post on this concern
quote
I just checked the Obs Hill daily summary page – www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/IDCJDW2124.latest.shtml and it really is a mess. Missing temperature data, missing rainfall data and rainfall entries that are clearly wrong. Let’s just see how long it takes to be fixed. If at all.
Manly Hydraulics are having their problems with the SST bouy data. This page, new.mhl.nsw.gov.au/data/realtime/sst/, (will update) showing only one out of seven bouys reporting any data. Dear oh dear!
forum.weatherzone.com.au/ubbthreads.php/topics/1253784/Re_NSW_ACT_day_to_day_weather#Post1253784
Weathercyclist: re:“So the Australian region March 2014 had an 850 hpa anomaly of minus 1.38 deg c”. I think you should take a closer look at the graphic. It does not show what you claim. You chose the minimum across the region. The maximum across the region is near +2.0. If anything the average anomaly could be close to zero.
Warwick
Re: your difference chart – why on earth would you use the mean temperature anomaly – surely mean maximum temperature would correspond more closely with 900-600 hPa temperatures?
Satellites ping away constantly – so I assumed the mean T was the best to compare. I am not aware of any comparisons msu just to max – but maybe it happens.
C.mon Warwick – this is basic meteorology – at least when I did my course at Uni it was. 850 hPa temperature is a strong predictor of maximum temperature .. extend down the dry adiabatic lapse rate and its usually +15 or +16 for near sea level locations.
Minimum temperatures are strongly moderated by surface moisture, wind and cloud, (as well as antecedent daytime temperatures).
Ergo 900-600 hPa temperatures are far more likely to be correlated with maximum temperature than minimum temperature. Why don’t you redo your figures with mean maxima?
BTW I assume that you are joking WRT to pinging – the microwave sensors are passive – not active (and are mostly on satellites that are sun-synchronous).
The UAH SH anomaly is almost zero for March at +0.002.
The MSU satellites are in a polar orbit and sample troposphere temperatures as the pass over an area at the same time each day (sun synchronous). It is impossible to determine max temps from these measurements, as it would be impossible to determine max temperature from a thermometer read once a day. The comparison should be with surface temperature measurements taken at the same time as the satellite pass, although I am not aware this is done. Comparing satellite temps with average surface temperatures assumes uniform temperature changes throughout the day, and Jonathan Lowe showed this is not the case in Australia.
Minimum temperatures are also strongly moderated by solar insolation.
Philip
You might want to learn a little more maximum temperature meteorology before you leap in.
Here is a nice easy intro read here ..www.weatherzone.com.au/help/article.jsp?id=49
George
George, pretending you know something more than the other person, but don’t say what it is, is the hallmark of trolls.
Yes George that was slack of me..agreed
some contribution.
Here is the surface anomalies for Australia . March 2014
snapped
picasaweb.google.com/110600540172511797362/TEMPERATURE2014#6000227519281040066
source
www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/temp/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=latest&step=0&map=maxanom&period=month&area=nat
Looks a tad on the +pos warm anomaly spatially. I will find the actual anomaly from the BOM report for May 2morrow
Enjoying reading the debate
sorry . Typo . I meant March.(above)
and the March 2014 BOM monthly weather report is not due out until the end of the month
www.bom.gov.au/climate/mwr/
reminder to self to remember to look at that in 3 weeks time
Weather cyclist: very gracious of you.
Phillip: I believe that’s the second time you called me a troll!
I copied the text out of the link I provided to you – hopefully that puts me back into your good books
The temperature at the 850hPa level (approximately 1500m above sea level) is … … one of the best indicators of maximum temperature potential at a site. This is because the air will mix down from the 850hPa level to the surface and warm at a rate of 15C/100m. Therefore, add approximately 15C to this temperature get an idea of your potential maximum.