Global Warming Data Dodgey
A former TV meteorologist, Anthony Watts, has started to investigate the numerous surface stations that are used to gather data for research into global warming. Watts had concerns about the reliability of the many surface stations which were said to be providing highly accurate information on surface temperatures. Watts has started a website www.surfacestations.org documenting the stations, with temperature data and photographic evidence.

Compare the two examples on the home page
The first is a well maintained site

Note the temperature trend.

The second is a not so well maintained site

Note the temperature trend, and note the horribly controlled environment with many different temperature affecting entities which have been building up over time.

Strangely, even though I am skeptical of human caused global warming, I had alway accepted that the measured temperature increase was a fact. I mean, it is a simple observation. Yet this data, with a significant number of the sites surveyed showing corrupt data, calls into question even this basic data. If they can't get the basic data gathering right, how much confidence can we have in the hypotheses derived from it, which is many orders of magnitude more complex?

As the faq says

the USHCN has been established since 1994, and in that time, the NCDC scientists managing the network have not done this most basic of quality control checks; visiting each station, doing a photographic survey, and determining if the climate monitoring station temperature and rainfall measurement been compromised by any local influences.

I guess this is what happens when you shut down debate. No one bothers to check the data because 'everybody knows' global warming is real.
- posted by Alan Grey @ Thursday, June 28, 2007