Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • NEWS

Meet the weather observers on climate change’s front lines

From Death Valley to Antarctica, the science of temperature records is hotting up as the planet warms.
  1. Alexandra Witze
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

Park ranger Sarah Carter checks the thermometers at the Furnace Creek Visitor Centre weather station, Death Valley

Sarah Carter, a ranger at Death Valley National Park in California, takes temperature readings at the park's weather station. Credit: Jason Ogulnik for Nature

On a searing day in late July, Katie Martyr was more worried about watering her wilting plants than whether she was witnessing history.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 573, 317-318 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02632-2

This article is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 media outlets to highlight the issue of climate change.

References

  1. Papalexiou, S. M., AghaKouchak, A., Trenberth, K. E. & Foufoula-Georgiou, E. Earth's Future 6, 71–79 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Donat, M. G. et al. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 118, 2098-2118 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Cerveny, R. WMO Bull. 67(2), 52-57 (2018).

  4. Merlone, A. et al. Intl J. Clim. http://doi.org/10.1002/joc.6132 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Skansi, M. d. L. M. et al. Eos 98, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017EO068325 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Diffenbaugh, N. S. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 114, 4881-4886 (2017).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

  • Postdoctoral Position

    We are seeking highly motivated and skilled candidates for postdoctoral fellow positions

    Boston, Massachusetts (US)

    Boston Children's Hospital (BCH)

  • Qiushi Chair Professor

    Distinguished scholars with notable achievements and extensive international influence.

    Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

    Zhejiang University

  • ZJU 100 Young Professor

    Promising young scholars who can independently establish and develop a research direction.

    Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

    Zhejiang University

  • Head of the Thrust of Robotics and Autonomous Systems

    Reporting to the Dean of Systems Hub, the Head of ROAS is an executive assuming overall responsibility for the academic, student, human resources...

    Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

    The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)

  • Head of Biology, Bio-island

    Head of Biology to lead the discovery biology group.

    Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

    BeiGene Ltd.

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links