Was the rapid change in the GLOBAL Land-Ocean Temperature Index (NASA GISS) a result of La Nina moderating?

Question

The change from June to July is fairly significant.

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/tabledata/GLB.Ts dSST.txt

Answer 1

NASA GISS is headed up by Jim Hansen, who is also employed as Al Gore's science advisor.  That should indicate that one must be extremely cautious when referring to their data due to his involvement.  

Answer 2

I am sure this is obvious (or perhaps not), but even looking at trends as long as a year or 10 years is pretty much meaningless.  There is nothing in the current trend that makes it stand out from historic trends.  It doesn't prove or disprove man made warming.

Answer 3

Don't focus on the ENSO index so much as the ocean temperature anomalies.  Here's what has happened over the last 6 months or so:

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs...

Lots of warming in the eastern Eq. Pac., which is why global temps are coming up.  Also, the maps show why most N. Americans *think* it's gotten colder globally.  N. America has been unusually cold, but it is a very local thing, at least over the N. American continent.  Other parts of the globe are a lot warmer.  

There is a lot of variability in global temperature, no climate physicist would dispute that.  But the longwave forcing is marching upwards and that heat is going somewhere.  

  

Answer 4

Well it's hard to say.  I asked a similar question due to the large change from Feb to March, but then temperatures cooled again.

Looking at the ENSO index, La Nina does appear to be moderating

http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/ENSO/enso.mei_in...

http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/people/klaus.wol...

So this may be the case.