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Evidence for human influence on climate from hemispheric temperature relations

Nature volume 388, pages 39–44 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Analysis of observational temperature records for the Northern and Southern hemispheres indicates a statistical relationship in which Northern Hemisphere temperature depends on temperature in the Southern Hemisphere. This pattern, which has strengthened over time, can be explained by the climatic effects of anthropogenic trace gases and tropospheric sulphate aerosols. A similar statistical patternis produced by model simulations of the historical atmosphere.

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Figure 1: Changes in the statistical significance of the south-to-north causal order over time (filled circles).

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following individuals for data: T. Boden, L. D. Harvey, J. Lean, M. Sato and D. Viner. We thank B. P. Briegleb, M. Friedl, S. Hall, G. Hegerl, J. Key, P. Mayewski, B. Moore III, G. Salvucci, H. Y. Toda, K. Trenberth and P. Young for comments on preliminary versions of this Article.

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  1. *Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston University, Boston, 02215, Massachusetts, USA

    Robert K. Kaufmann

  2. †Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia

    David I. Stern

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Correspondence to Robert K. Kaufmann.

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Kaufmann, R., Stern, D. Evidence for human influence on climate from hemispheric temperature relations. Nature 388, 39–44 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/40332

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