Global surface temperature

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/global-surface-temperature

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is Global surface temperature?Central England temperature series, starting in 1659
2. What is the scientific definition?The average temperature of Earth's surface, combining sea and land temperatures
3. What is the total warming (1850-1900 to 2011-2020)?Approximately 1.09 degrees Celsius
4. How do scientists measure global surface temperature?Scientists use weather stations on land, ocean buoys in the seas, and satellites that watch the sky. For older times, they look at tree rings, coral skeletons, and ice cores to guess past temperatures.
5. When did scientists start keeping a global temperature record?A long, worldwide record began around 1850. Before that, scientists used natural clues like tree rings and ice cores to learn about past climates.

Sea Surface Temperature (SST): The temperature of the uppermost layer of the ocean, measured at the surface.
Proxy Data: Indirect evidence from natural archives (e.g., ice cores, tree rings) used to reconstruct past climate conditions.
Climate Change Consensus: The overwhelming agreement among climate scientists that Earth's climate is warming due to human activities.