GLOBAL WARMING

• Do we see an overall warming of the environment?
• Some theorists envisioned that we would see a more pronounced warming of minimum temperatures than maximum temperatures. This might result in a reduced range of temperatures. What trends does the data show?
• Many theories that look at global warming envisage more drought and less surplus water conditions for inland or continental locations. Therefore, we might see some trends in precipitation amounts and the frequency of certain amounts of precipitation. What do the trends show?
• In reference to actual evapotranspiration, surplus/deficit conditions and runoff/streamflow, what might we expect with a warming climate?
• Are there clear-cut answers in the trends that we see?
• What does that tell us about researching environmental issues like global warming?
• Are there other types of data or information that we need to look at to make a worthwhile analysis? If so, what would they be?
• What are the implications of the results of this study?
• Can you link any of the climate trends to human agency?
• If the trends continue in their current direction, what are the potential implications for people living in the Wabash Watershed?
In short, we are looking at a specific geographic area, the Wabash Watershed. We are looking at a specific time period, 1961-1990, utilizing raw, 5-year average, and 10-year average data, with respect to temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration, moisture surplus, moisture deficit, and surface runoff. What does this data tell about this region over this time period, and what does it indicate about the future? Does this tell us anything, positively or negatively about global warming theory?

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