Global Warming in Asheville, North Carolina

Abstract

As predicted by Svante Arrhenius in 1896, global warming is taking place as evidenced by documented rises in average sea level of about 1.7 mm/year during the 20th century. There have been naturally occurring cycles of global warming and cooling throughout the history of the world. Much has been written about the catastrophe that global warming would present to humankind, but the effects of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations upon ambient annual mean temperatures at the local level in western North Carolina are not easily recognized at this time. Observation of annual mean temperatures in western NC did not immediately indicate a detectable temperature increase over the period of analysis. However, annual weather data for Asheville, North Carolina from 1965 until 2006 indicated an upward trend in annual mean surface temperatures of about 1.3°F (0.72°C) while global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have risen about 62 ppm. This paper will present an examination of regional ambient annual surface temperature trends in western North Carolina relative to global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.  The focus will be on analysis of data to determine cyclical patterns.