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Spuriously induced temperature trends in the Southeast United States

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Summary

This study uses correlation and multiple regression techniques to document differences in annual temperature trends between the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) Climate Division Database (CDD) and the United States Historical Climate Network (USHCN) for the Southeast United States. Results indicate that an increase (decrease) in elevation and a northward (southward) shift in mean station location in the CDD correspond with decreases (increases) in temperature. Although the movement of station locations in the CDD showed only modest impacts on trends, the effects of the movements are statistically significant, and explain some of the variances in the temperature trends. Results therefore suggest that climate divisions with more rugged terrain and greater shifts in elevation are more susceptible to spuriously generated trends.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources, Southeast Regional Climate Center, Columbia, South Carolina, USA

    J. Allard

  2. Louisiana Office of State Climatology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

    B. D. Keim

Authors
  1. J. Allard
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  2. B. D. Keim
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Allard, J., Keim, B. Spuriously induced temperature trends in the Southeast United States. Theor. Appl. Climatol. 88, 103–110 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-006-0229-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-006-0229-5

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