Global Climate Review

Todd Mitchell, 30 September 2008

•Global-mean temperature: 8th warmest in 129 year record

•ENSO: neutral; forecast neutral

•PDO: large negative; forecast to remain negative

• Indian Monsoon: near normal

•Arctic Ice Extent: 2nd lowest in 30 year record

• 6 Atlantic hurricanes (~1995-05 normal, season not over)

•Perceived early 1940s ocean warming linked to data processing

•U.S. Fiscal Year 2009 science budget: continuing resolution

Excerpts of the AAAS Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Summary,

Updated 26 September ( www.aaas.org/spp/rd)

Just days before the start of FY 2009, Congress has made little progress on FY 2009 appropriations and is preparing to leave Washington for the rest of the year, postponing final budget decisions for most federal agencies until next year. The House has approved a continuing resolution (CR; HR 2638 amendment) extending funding for all programs in unsigned 2009 appropriations bills at 2008 funding levels through March 6, 2009. The CR contains final FY 2009 appropriations for the Departments of Defense (DOD), Homeland Security (DHS), and Veterans Affairs (VA); but all other federal agencies will be operating temporarily at 2008 funding levels when the new fiscal year begins on October 1 until the CR expires or a final appropriations bill is enacted.

Congress' rush to adjourn leaves science agencies' hopes for funding increases in 2009 in limbo. Earlier in the year, congressional appropriators endorsed large increases for the three physical sciences agencies in the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), increases for human spacecraft development, increases for biomedical research in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and increases in other parts of the federal research and development (R&D) portfolio. But instead most federal programs will operate at 2008 funding levels for several months into the new fiscal year..

Land and Ocean 0.72°C (1901-2000 climatology), 8th warmest in 129 years

January through August Mean Temperature Anomalies(°C, 1901-2000 climatology)

Global

Land 0.72°C 8th warmest in 129 years

Ocean 0.35 10th warmest

Land and Ocean 0.45 9th warmest

Northern Hemisphere

Land 0.82 7th warmest

Ocean 0.37 8th warmest

Land and Ocean 0.54 9th warmest

Southern Hemisphere

Land 0.41 12th warmest

Ocean 0.33 16th warmest

Land and Ocean 0.34 15th warmest

Australia drought continues

Red line 1979-2000 mean

Arctic sea ice extent, after reaching its seasonal minimum last week, has begun its annual cyclical increase in response to the setting sun. A cooler melt season, retention of first-year ice, and dispersive ice motion set the 2008 melt season apart from 2007.

All India 842 mm, normal 843 mm

Nino3.4 (5N-5S, 170-120W)August 0.21°C 1971-2000 mean

29 June through 27 September mean sea surface temperature anomaly(°C, 1982-96 climatology)

PDO: -1.00 -0.77 -0.71 -1.52 -1.37 -1.34 -1.67 -1.70 standard deviations

Forecast DJF: 0.3°C; MAM: 0.2°C