Seed Today - Q3 2008 - (Page 69)

May 2008 Global Temperatures • Global composite: 0.32°F (0.18°) below 20-year average for May 2008. • Northern Hemisphere: 0.09°F (0.05°C) below 20-year May average. • Southern Hemisphere: 0.56°F (0.31°C) below 20-year May average. • Global trend since Nov. 16, 1978: + 0.23°F (+0.13°C) per decade. All temperature variations are based on a 20-year average (19791998) for the month reported. tury” made 1998 the hottest calendar year during the 28+ year record, with an annual average temperature 0.85°F (0.47°C) warmer than normal. • The coolest calendar year was 1985—0.45°F (0.25°C) below normal. • The coolest month was September 1984—0.9°F (0.50°C) below normal. • The coldest day was Sept. 19, 1984—when the global composite temperature dropped 1.21°F (0.67°C) below seasonal norms. So, what is the verdict for Florida? Christy says a study of mean global sea level finds the approximately 3 mm per year rise of the past 150 years has not accelerated during the 20th century. “The current level of knowledge about the climate doesn’t provide the tools needed to predict when rapid natural climate changes will occur and what forms it might take,” Christy concludes. “This makes it impossible to say with high confidence how much human factors might influence climate change.” Joe W. Funk, editor Observations: • Global average temperatures and temperatures in the tropics continued to fall in May, driven by a La Nina Pacific Ocean cooling event. • Compared to seasonal norms, temperatures in the tropical third of the globe nearly tied for the fourth coolest month in 29 years, while the globe was cooler than at any time since January 2000. • A broad band of cooler than normal air virtually girdled the globe in May. The tropics were 1.04°F (0.58°C) cooler than seasonal norms in May. Dr. John Christy, director of the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville were driven by major climate events, including volcanic eruptions, El Niño Pacific Ocean warming events and La Niña Pacific Ocean cooling events. • Compared to seasonal norms, the hottest day in the past 25 years was April 6, 1998, when the global composite temperature climbed to 1.66°F (0.92°C) above normal. • April 1998 was also the warmest month, with an average global composite temperature 1.35°F (0.75°C) warmer than seasonal norms. • The 1997-1998 “El Niño of the cenFor more information: University of Alabama Huntsville Climate Date (climate.uah.edu) Dr. John R. Christy Professor and Director, Earth System Science Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (256-961-7763/john.christy@nsstc.uah.edu) Response No. 691 Third Quarter 2008 69 http://www.columbiaokura.com http://climate.uah.edu

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Seed Today - Q3 2008

Seed Today - Q3 2008 Contents Editor’s Notes Cover Feature Fred Miller, Ph.D., MMR Genetics Crosbyton Seed Company AOSCA Greg Lowry Floyd Hansmeirer AOSA/SCST According to ASTA Seedsellers, Inc. BinMaster Blake Sieker Ad Index

Seed Today - Q3 2008

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