Surface Air Temperature Variations in the Amazon Region and Its Borders during This Century

Abstract

Monthly average surface air temperature records from 17 stations in the Brazilian Amazon from 1913 to 1995 were used to compute annual air temperature means. The data were converted into temperature anomalies, as the differences between annual mean temperatures and the mean temperature of a reference period (1958–85). By averaging the anomalies, an increasing trend of 0.56°C century⁻¹ was observed, which is similar to the trend found for the Southern Hemisphere of 0.57°C century⁻¹. The results of two nonparametrical statistical tests showed that the trend became significant in the late 1960s to early 1970s.