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Climatic Warming in the Spanish Mediterranean: Natural Trend or Urban Effect

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Abstract

The evolution of the mean annual temperatures recordedin the major historical network of SpanishMediterranean observatories(36°N–45°/60°W–4°E)exhibits a significant warming trend. Analysis of thetrend is difficult and could be biased by non-climaticprocesses such as the urban effect and weather stationrelocation, which also need to be taken intoaccount.The present work examines the effects of non-climaticprocesses and shows that most of the temperature risecould be due to an urban effect. On correcting for theurban effect, the actual rise was found to be zero ornegligible. The assumption of temperature stability inthe Spanish Mediterranean should thereforenot be rejected.

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Quereda Sala, J., Gil Olcina, A., Perez Cuevas, A. et al. Climatic Warming in the Spanish Mediterranean: Natural Trend or Urban Effect. Climatic Change 46, 473–483 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005688608044

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