Comments on: Surface Temperature Data Quality Suspect–Casts Doubt on “Global Warming” Hypothesis http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/statistical-tools-for-six-sigma/surface-temperature-data-quality-suspect-casts-doubt-on-global-warming-hypothesis.html?source=rss Lean Six Sigma Training and Information Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:04:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Thomas Pyzdek http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/statistical-tools-for-six-sigma/surface-temperature-data-quality-suspect-casts-doubt-on-global-warming-hypothesis.html/comment-page-1#comment-221 Thomas Pyzdek Sat, 12 Jun 2010 01:24:53 +0000 http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/?p=1728#comment-221 Great comment, Dan. My question is whether we are merely substituting one metric (air temperature) for another (pH.) In either case we must assure that the measurements meet the quality criteria of accuracy, repeatability, non-linearity, etc.. The point of the original post is that these criteria have not been met in a substantial number of the measuring stations. Great comment, Dan. My question is whether we are merely substituting one metric (air temperature) for another (pH.) In either case we must assure that the measurements meet the quality criteria of accuracy, repeatability, non-linearity, etc.. The point of the original post is that these criteria have not been met in a substantial number of the measuring stations.

]]> By: Dan Wiltshire http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/statistical-tools-for-six-sigma/surface-temperature-data-quality-suspect-casts-doubt-on-global-warming-hypothesis.html/comment-page-1#comment-82 Dan Wiltshire Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:45:14 +0000 http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/?p=1728#comment-82 We have a problem here at work where we measure the outcome, and try and make decisions on whether there is significant change. It doesn't work well, because the failure rate is too low. We have to look deeper and have been monitoring a variable first-time-test value instead of last-time-fail yea or nay. The first-time-test values have a distinct pattern that can be an early warning of failures to come. Perhaps instead of constantly arguing about global warming, which is so small it is difficult to measure reliably, we should look at other signals that we can affect. For instance, NPR had an interesting interview yesterday with a marine biologist studying the affects of CO2 absorbing into the ocean - causing an increase in acidity due to the creation of boric acid. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111807469 CO2 may or may not cause a measureable and statistically significant increase in global temperature, but it does cause measureable acidity increase in the ocean. We have a problem here at work where we measure the outcome, and try and make decisions on whether there is significant change. It doesn’t work well, because the failure rate is too low. We have to look deeper and have been monitoring a variable first-time-test value instead of last-time-fail yea or nay. The first-time-test values have a distinct pattern that can be an early warning of failures to come.

Perhaps instead of constantly arguing about global warming, which is so small it is difficult to measure reliably, we should look at other signals that we can affect.

For instance, NPR had an interesting interview yesterday with a marine biologist studying the affects of CO2 absorbing into the ocean – causing an increase in acidity due to the creation of boric acid. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111807469

CO2 may or may not cause a measureable and statistically significant increase in global temperature, but it does cause measureable acidity increase in the ocean.

]]> By: Thomas Pyzdek http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/statistical-tools-for-six-sigma/surface-temperature-data-quality-suspect-casts-doubt-on-global-warming-hypothesis.html/comment-page-1#comment-33 Thomas Pyzdek Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:12:26 +0000 http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/?p=1728#comment-33 I should've included a link to the site where this research is reported in detail, http://www.surfacestations.org/. I should’ve included a link to the site where this research is reported in detail, http://www.surfacestations.org/.

]]> By: mannionp http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/statistical-tools-for-six-sigma/surface-temperature-data-quality-suspect-casts-doubt-on-global-warming-hypothesis.html/comment-page-1#comment-29 mannionp Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:33:05 +0000 http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/?p=1728#comment-29 Identical scales and well-understood corrections for outliers - for example, if a standard adjustment was made for the amount of time the air conditioner exhaust is blown over the gauges each day during specific seasons - would make the data more pertinent. The skeptic in me, however, worries that those types of corrections will be too numerous and complex to make the results repeatable and reproducible... Identical scales and well-understood corrections for outliers – for example, if a standard adjustment was made for the amount of time the air conditioner exhaust is blown over the gauges each day during specific seasons – would make the data more pertinent. The skeptic in me, however, worries that those types of corrections will be too numerous and complex to make the results repeatable and reproducible…

]]> By: cal.beard@yahoo.com http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/statistical-tools-for-six-sigma/surface-temperature-data-quality-suspect-casts-doubt-on-global-warming-hypothesis.html/comment-page-1#comment-27 cal.beard@yahoo.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:20:29 +0000 http://www.sixsigmatraining.org/?p=1728#comment-27 Excellent! In our current culture of blame, someone that questions the popular conclusion of global warming is subject to open and hostile ridicule. To suggest that global warming might be caused by solar variations, we would be without a villain to blame. Another variable not mentioned is that many of the weather stations were rural when they were installed. Now they are urban. One might expect a temperature increase. Weather stations are not distributed in geographically meaningful locations, they are placed in sociologically important places, cities. I realize that this a summary article and not a full report. The scale of the graphs are difficult to read. However the bottom chart appears to go back to 1920, yet the building appears to be much newer. Surely the data is from several locations. The 1950+ data could be influenced by air conditioners, but not earlier data. Also, the two charts do not cover the same time or temperature scale. The last "most recent" section of both charts have the same approximate rate of rise. The bottom chart does not cover the time frame in which the top chart shows a temperature drop. If only the 1930+ sections of data were presented with identical scales, it would be less convincing, in fact it might support the warming theory. Excellent! In our current culture of blame, someone that questions the popular conclusion of global warming is subject to open and hostile ridicule. To suggest that global warming might be caused by solar variations, we would be without a villain to blame.

Another variable not mentioned is that many of the weather stations were rural when they were installed. Now they are urban. One might expect a temperature increase. Weather stations are not distributed in geographically meaningful locations, they are placed in sociologically important places, cities.

I realize that this a summary article and not a full report. The scale of the graphs are difficult to read. However the bottom chart appears to go back to 1920, yet the building appears to be much newer. Surely the data is from several locations. The 1950+ data could be influenced by air conditioners, but not earlier data.

Also, the two charts do not cover the same time or temperature scale. The last “most recent” section of both charts have the same approximate rate of rise. The bottom chart does not cover the time frame in which the top chart shows a temperature drop.

If only the 1930+ sections of data were presented with identical scales, it would be less convincing, in fact it might support the warming theory.

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