Originally published July 26, 2023 8:22 am PDT
In a recent study titled “Corrupted Climate Stations: The Official U.S. Surface Temperature Record Remains Fatally Flawed,” The Heartland Institute reveals that nearly 96% of U.S. temperature stations, crucial to understanding climate change patterns, do not meet the “acceptable” placement standards set by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In 2009, significant corruption and heat biases were discovered in NOAA stations.
The Heartland Institute’s investigation now shows that this distortion problem has worsened.
The group argues that such placement issues compromise the accuracy and reliability of the U.S. surface temperature records.
The study, assembled through satellite data and physical survey visits to NOAA stations, indicates that urbanization’s localized effects have corrupted an alarming 96% of these stations.
Most are situated close to asphalt, machinery, and various other objects that generate, trap, or amplify heat, resulting in a heat-bias.
Such station placements are in violation of NOAA’s established guidelines, thereby raising serious doubts about the strength and validity of official assertions regarding long-term climate warming trends in the U.S.
Anthony Watts, Senior Fellow at the Heartland Institute and the study’s director, commented, “With a 96 percent warm-bias in U.S. temperature measurements, it is impossible to use any statistical methods to derive an accurate climate trend for the U.S.”
He further noted, “Data from the stations that have not been corrupted by faulty placement show a rate of warming in the United States reduced by almost half compared to all stations.”
The NOAA’s own “Requirements and Standards for [National Weather Service] Climate Observations” mandate that temperature data instruments be placed “over level terrain (earth or sod) typical of the area around the station and at least 100 feet from any extensive concrete or paved surface.”
It also explicitly directs to avoid areas where rough terrain or air drainage would result in non-representative temperature data.
However, the study’s findings point to routine violations of these requirements.
The Heartland Institute, established in 1984, is a globally recognized free-market think tank.
It is known for championing the works of scientists who question the prevailing view that human activities are the prime drivers of climate change.
Read the full study below:
