The whole assignment please. Thank you!

Climate change (33 points)

Over recent years there has been much discussion of climate change. Heated debates have ensued over whether or not global warming is occurring. In addition, there has been a lot of debate over the cause. Some argue that climate is not changing. Others say global climate is warming and humans are entirely responsible. Others see humans as a contributor to global warming, but also cite natural cycles or processes as additional contributors. Still others believe climate change is occurring, but humans have no part in causing it.

In this lab, you will be examining climate data for Minneapolis/St. Paul specifically, the entire state of Minnesota, and the contiguous 48 states collectively. In addition, you will be gathering data for a location of your choice in another region of the country to add to your analysis of climate patterns. The data used for this lab are from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA, 2015).

Use Table A to help you complete questions 3-13. Table A shows average annual temperatures of the Minneapolis/St. Paul region of Minnesota over a 120-year period (1895-2014). Data have been grouped in ten-year groups (1895-1904, 1905-1914, etc.). The temperature is the annual average for that year. The rank is an ordering of how that year’s average compared to all other years in the data set; where “1” is the coldest yearly average and “120” is the warmest yearly average. Where averages are equal, they receive the same ranking. The anomaly column is the number of degrees Fahrenheit the average differed from the 100-year (1901-2000) average of 45.3°F. An annual average that equals the 100-year average would have an anomaly of zero. Averages for the average annual temperature and anomaly are given below each ten-year grouping in bold.

1a. A positive anomaly indicate that the annual average temperature was:

normal below normal above normal

b. A negative anomaly indicate that the annual average temperature was:

normal below normal above normal

2a. A temperature anomaly of 1.0°F means the average annual temperature was __________ normal compared to an anomaly of 2.0°F.

nearer farther from

b. A temperature anomaly of 1.0°F means the average annual temperature was __________ normal compared to an anomaly of -2.0°F.

nearer farther from

3. Rank the ten-year groupings for the Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) data from coldest (1) average to warmest (12) average temperature in the chart below (Table 1). Do not fill out the data for MN and US ranking right now. You will complete the remainder of the table later on.

Table 1: Annual temperature rankings for Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, and the United States.

4. Graph the ten-year average anomalies over time on Figure 1 using a colored pencil. Record the color in the legend below the graph. Connect the data points with a line.

5. Using the graph, describe the temperature trend in MSP over the 120 year time span. Think about weather temperatures were increasing or decreasing as well as whether they were above or below normal across the 120-year period.

6. How many of the ten-year periods for the MSP data were below the 100-year average?

7. How many of the ten-year periods for the MSP data were above the 100-year average?

8. What was the coldest single year for the MSP data? How much below the 100-year average was that year?

9. What was the warmest single year for the MSP data? How much above the 100-year average was that year?

10. How much warmer was the warmest yearly average from the coldest yearly average?

11. For MSP in the last ten years, how many years ranked within the top ten warmest on record? Which years were these?

12. In the last ten years, how many times was the average annual temperature below the 100-year average?

13. In the last 30 years how many times was the average annual temperature below the 100-year average?

Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota

United States _______________

Use Table B to help you complete questions 14-18. Table B shows average annual temperatures for the state of Minnesota over a 120-year period (1895-2014).

14. Rank the ten-year groupings for the Minnesota (MN) statewide data from coldest (1) average to warmest (12) average in Table 1. Do not fill out the data for the US ranking right now. You will complete the remainder of the table later on.

15. Are the average temperatures for the state of Minnesota as a whole greater than or less than the averages for the Twin Cities? Provide a possible explanation for the difference seen.

16. Graph the ten-year average anomalies over time on Figure 1 using a different colored pencil than you used previously. Record the color in the legend below the graph. Connect the data points with a line.

17. Describe any similarities and differences between the statewide anomaly data and the Minneapolis/St. Paul data based on the pattern on the graph.

18. Based on the anomaly data, does the trend over the most recent 40 years appear to be more extreme, less extreme, or variable for the statewide (MN) data compared to the Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) data? Explain how you can tell.

Use Table C to help you complete questions 19-22. Table C shows average annual temperatures for the contiguous (lower 48 states) United States over a 120-year period (1895-2014).

19. Rank the ten-year groupings for the United States (US) data from coldest (1) average to warmest (12) average in Table 1.

20. Are the average temperatures for the contiguous United States greater than or less than the averages for Minnesota? Provide a possible explanation for the difference seen.

21. Graph the ten-year average anomalies over time on Figure 1 using a different colored pencil than you used previously. Record the color in the legend below the graph. Connect the data points with a line.

22. Based on the anomalies, does the temperatures trend over the most recent 40 years appear to be more extreme, less extreme, or variable for the United States compared to Minnesota? Explain how you can tell.

You will now be examining data from one more location of your choice within the United States. One requirement is that the location you choose must have a climate record dating back to at least 1901. Go to the NOAA website: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/time-series. Click on “Statewide” from the headings. For the timescale, select “Annual”. Change the start year to 1895 and the end year to 2014. Choose any state then click “Plot”.

Examine the graph. Below the graph’s title is the 100-year average (1901-2000). If the city you chose lists an average shorter than the 1901-2000 period, change the “Climate Division/City” to “Entire Region”. Click “Plot”. Average annual temperature, ranking, and anomaly data will appear below the graph. Record the information listed below based on your selection.

23. Region:___________________________ City, State:________________________________

24. 100-year (1901-2000) average temperature:_____________________________

25. Use the data below the graph to calculate the following averages and complete Table 2. You may just use the data from the last 40 years.

Table 2: Ten-year annual temperature and anomaly average.

26. Graph the four ten-year average anomalies on Figure 1 using a different colored pencil or pen than you used previously. Record the color in the legend below the graph. Connect the data points with a line.

27. Were anomalies for your state of choice greater or lesser than those of the United States and Minnesota?

Return to the NOAA website http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/time-series. Click on “Globe” found beneath “Time Series”. For the timescale, select “Annual”. Change the start year to 1895 and the end year to 2014. Click on “Plot”. A graph showing global temperature anomalies based on average annual global temperatures will appear.

28. How does the pattern depicted on the graph compare to that seen for the United States on Figure 1?

References

NOAA. 2015. Climate at a glance. Retrieved on July 13, 2015 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/time- series.