Global warming hiatus

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-warming-hiatus

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 warming hiatus?Continued accumulation of energy in the climate system despite surface temperature fluctuations
2. What is the scientific term?Global warming hiatus
3. What is the primary timeframe of debate?Approximately 1998-2013
4. Why did the Earth's temperature seem to pause?Natural patterns like the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the deep ocean taking in heat made the surface look cooler, even though the planet was still getting warmer.
5. Did the pause mean global warming stopped?No, the planet still absorbed energy, and the ocean kept getting warmer, so overall warming is still happening.

Global warming hiatus: A period of reduced rate of increase in globally averaged surface temperatures, typically observed over decadal timescales.
Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO): A long-lived variation in sea surface temperature in the North Pacific Ocean that influences climate patterns.
Anthropogenic forcing: Changes in Earth's energy balance caused by human activities, primarily greenhouse gas emissions.