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RST Apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people 2021.

Southern Hemisphere climate: the modern record

Papers & Reports

Summary

This study presents observed trends and variability in the modern climate record for the Southern Hemisphere. High-resolution records of past climate from dendroclimatic studies, which are limited to a few areas, are also presented for the last few centuries. Sufficient land and marine surface temperature observations exist to enable reconstruction of surface temperature trends since 1860. These results are derived from high-quality, long-term climate datasets. These data show that annual surface air temperatures have warmed by O.6°C over the period 1860 to 1994. Trends are similar for all four seasons. The pattern of annual land-only surface temperature trends reflects these broad trends, but is somewhat different. Over the entire period the warming amounts to 0.4°e. Australian and Southern African trends more closely resemble the hemispheric; South American trends differ. In Antarctica, the record commenced only in 1957 and shows slight warming.
The Southern Oscillation is an important driver of interannual variability in temperature and precipitation throughout Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific) and southern Africa. Finally, there is a very limited number of potential terrestrial highresolution proxy records to extend the climate record prior to the mid 19th century for the Southern Hemisphere. These show no consistent trend.

 

Keywords:

Royal Society of Tasmania, RST, Van Diemens Land, natural history, science, ecology, taxonomy, botany, zoology, geology, geography, papers & proceedings, Australia, UTAS Library

Acknowledgement of Country

The Royal Society of Tasmania acknowledges, with deep respect, the traditional owners of this land, and the ongoing custodianship of the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. The Society pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that Tasmanian Aboriginal Peoples have survived severe and unjust impacts resulting from invasion and dispossession of their Country. As an institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, the Royal Society of Tasmania recognises Aboriginal cultural knowledge and practices and seeks to respect and honour these traditions and the deep understanding they represent.

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On 15 February 2021, the Royal Society of Tasmania offered a formal Apology to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people.