Climate Change

        The rate our planet continues to warm is increasing at an unsustainable and almost linear pace. The results of this are deadly heat waves, record breaking forest fires, massive flooding, drying vegetation, droughts, frequent hurricanes, rising sea levels, and decreasing sea ice. NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and NOAA National Centers for Environment Information are two data sources that reflect past temperatures globally. The NASA data is specific to each month, of each year, from 1951-1980, while NOAA’s is just a statewide time series on average temperature from 1895- 2019. The state being analyzed will be Maryland. In this study, Tableau is the software that is used to conduct data visualizations to reflect the warming of the earth. In running this analysis, temperature anomalies are the correct form of measurement. Temperature anomalies are a variation from the baseline temperature and are calculated by taking each monthly data and subtracting the average value for that month. This measurement is preferred over absolute temperate because it calculates monthly and annual temperature anomalies over a larger area, while absolute is done over a short distance. Three specific images are used, known as the line chart, heat table, and line chart with a trend line, which are used to track and visualize measuring temperature anomalies over a period time.

        The first data analyzed was a one month temperature anomaly using a continuous line graph. This graph was chosen because line charts are effective in identifying patterns over a long period of time. The variables used were “year” and the month of “August” in the northern hemisphere. This chart shows that since 1930 when the temperature went above the base period, that in future years, the temperature will continue to go over the line more frequently. This indicates there is a positive relationship between time and temperature. To visualize this easier a color palette was used resulting in the colder temperatures to be blue and the warmer temperatures to be red. In the data table the line shows that 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 were the four hottest years on record. An article by Vox, a news site, recently released stating, “NASA and NOAA announced their analysis of the global climate in 2018 on Wednesday, revealing that 2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record. The other four in the top five all happened in the past five years” (Ifran, 2019). Even though this article is referring to the four highest average temperatures for an overall year and the data that we calculated was just for the month of August, it is still relevant because the chart reflects that 2015-2018 were still the four hottest recorded temperatures for the month of August.. As temperatures rise at this pace, more natural disasters are occurring, causing huge costs from the damages. In 2018 alone, there was a $91 billion hit, making it almost impossible to fix a fraction of the damages.

        The second data analyzed was a heat map of the northern hemisphere temperatures, including all twelve months on the text table. The values were taken away for each month of each year to allow for a more general representation that the earth is warming. It proves this by the transition of color from blue to red when moving from earlier to later years. All the way to the right of the graph it is fully covered in the color red, indicating high temperature levels for every month for the most recent years. In class, we discussed the repercussion that we will face if we continue at this record pace. It was brought up that by 2025 an estimated 2/3 of the world’s population will face moderate or server water stress and by 2050 part of Bangkok will be under water at high tide. Although, those statements may seem bold and maybe even unrealistic, this graph highlights the dangerous situation we are in and the drastic color change makes it appear more credible. 2019 is fully in a deep red, warning that our earth is in the danger zone and we cannot sustainably continue at this rate.  

        The third data analyzed was state-level anomaly of Maryland using a continuous line. The reason that a specific state is being looked at rather than the general northern hemisphere is because the temperature rising is on a broad spectrum and each state is not affect equally. If global warming is proven to be apparent in Maryland than that population of individuals will be more inclined to support climate change policies than individuals residing in a different state. In our results, we found that Maryland has been going over the base line sporadically for the past century. In the twenty first century, the line chart is consistently always over the base line period. This may be due to being located in such a developed and industrial country that continues to give off more and more greenhouse gas emission with each furthering year. In an article, by NPR, another national and world news site, announced that since the mid-century our world has already warmed by 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. On the Maryland dataset, a forecast future outcome was calculated by a forecast line and 95% confidence interval set to 15 years. The expected average temperature in Maryland in 10 years is going to be 34.068 degrees Fahrenheit above the base line. This is a dangerously high level and the population of Maryland should be investing in ways to be more economically stable.