Climate Change
V. Abrantes
2025-04-11
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Introduction
Overview
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperature, weather patterns, and atmospheric conditions on Earth. While natural factors like volcanic eruptions and solar cycles have influenced climate variations in the past, human activities—particularly the burning of fossil fuels—have significantly accelerated these changes. Over the years, global temperatures have risen, glaciers have melted, sea levels have increased, and extreme weather events have become more frequent. Scientific data shows that the Earths average temperature has increased by about 1.2°C (2.2°F) since the late 19th century, leading to widespread environmental and societal impacts.
Objectives
The objective of this laboratory is to survey the available data, plan, design, and create an information dashboard/presentation that not only explores the data but helps you develop questions based on that data exploration. To accomplish this task you will have to complete a number of steps:
- Identify what information interests you about climate change.
- Find, collect, organize, and summarize the data necessary to create your data exploration plan.
- Design and create the most appropriate visualizations (no less than 5 visualizations) to explore the data and present that information.
- Finally organize the layout of those visualizations into a dashboard (use the flexdashboard package) in a way that shows your path of data exploration.
- Develop four questions or ideas about climate change from your visualizations.
Annual Surface Temperature Change
Annual Surface Temperature Change
Climate Anomalies in US States
1901-2000 mean temperature of US states
Top 10 hottest states
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## group_rows| State | Mean Temp (F) |
|---|---|
| Florida | 65.81429 |
| Louisiana | 58.80000 |
| Texas | 58.31000 |
| Mississippi | 55.50000 |
| Georgia | 54.71111 |
| Alabama | 54.58750 |
| South Carolina | 53.04286 |
| Arizona | 51.61429 |
| Arkansas | 51.23333 |
| Oklahoma | 49.35556 |
Correlation of Climate Anomaly and Mean Temperature
###Questions and Insights
Q: How has the average temperature in U.S. states changed over time due to climate change? A: The mean temperature in nearly all U.S. states has increased over the last few decades. States like Florida, Texas, and Arizona show consistent warming trends. This is reflected in the graph of mean state temperatures, where Florida stands out as the hottest.
Q: What is a climate anomaly, and what does the average climate anomaly graph show for U.S. states? A: A climate anomaly is the deviation of a region’s temperature from a long-term average baseline. The average climate anomaly graph shows that all states have experienced above-average temperature anomalies in recent years, indicating consistent warming. The Southeast and Southwest regions, including Florida and Arizona, show the highest anomalies.
Q: Which states are currently the hottest based on recent temperature data? A: According to the “Top 10 Hottest States” graph, Florida ranks as the hottest state, followed by Louisiana, Texas, and Arizona. These rankings are based on recent average annual temperature data, showing how regional climates are shifting due to global warming.
###Conlcusions and Insights
Studying the variations in mean temperatures and climate anomalies across U.S. states provides clear evidence of the ongoing impacts of climate change. The consistent rise in temperatures, especially in states like Florida, highlights regional vulnerabilities and the urgent need for climate adaptation strategies. Climate anomalies further emphasize that these changes are not isolated events but part of a larger, long-term shift in global climate patterns. Understanding these trends is essential for developing informed environmental policies and promoting sustainable practices to mitigate the effects of climate change.