Creating an accurate global temperature record requires thousands of operational instruments and real-time data points. The data is very important, not only for recording temperature around the globe, but also to compare to past temperatures and change over time. This dataset provides examples of the instrument measurements that are used to create the 2023 GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (v4).
The data on land comes from the weather stations that make up the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN). Overwater temperature measurements come from the International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS). In addition, the surface marine observational records from ships, buoys, and other platform types.