Adnan Akyuz, North Dakota state climatologist and assistant professor of climatology in NDSU’s soil science department, hosted a public seminar on climate change on March 7 at NDSU. 

Akyuz discussed regional and global climate change and the agricultural implications to the Northern Plains.

Globally, 2011 was the 11th warmest year since records began in 1880, Akyuz said. The annual global combined land and ocean surface temperature was 0.92 degree above the long-term average of 57 degrees. This marks the 35th consecutive year (since 1976) that the annual global temperature was above the 20th century average.

The annual average temperature for the contiguous U.S. in 2011 was 53.8 degrees, which was 1 degree above the long-term average and making it the 23rd warmest year on record.

"While the annual average temperature through the contiguous U.S. has increased by 0.12 degree per decade since 1880, it has increased 0.26 degree per decade in North Dakota during the same period, which is the largest increase in the contiguous U.S.," Akyuz says.