2009/05/04 by Stephen McIntyre, McIntyre, Stephen, Ross McKitrick +1
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · Mathematics · #Applications (stat.AP) #Climate variability and models #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations #Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research #stat.AP
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.0905.0445
21 pages, 2 figures. Includes source code as Appendix
arxiv created 2009/05/04 · openalex publication_date 2009/05/04 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A debate exists over whether tropical troposphere temperature trends in climate models are inconsistent with observations (Karl et al. 2006, IPCC (2007), Douglass et al 2007, Santer et al 2008). Most recently, Santer et al (2008, herein S08) asserted that the Douglass et al statistical methodology was flawed and that a correct methodology showed there is no statistically significant difference between the model ensemble mean trend and either RSS or UAH satellite observations. However this result was based on data ending in 1999. Using data up to the end of 2007 (as available to S08) or to the end of 2008 and applying exactly the same methodology as S08 results in a statistically significant difference between the ensemble mean trend and UAH observations and approaching statistical significance for the RSS T2 data. The claim by S08 to have achieved a "partial resolution" of the discrepancy between observations and the model ensemble mean trend is unwarranted.