Some researchers believe that by 2030, many of the large ice caps on the highest Andes will be gone if current climate trends continue.
Rainfall can vary, he said, but other climate trends suggest that the threat to the source of the Yellow River is not going away.
A gap in weather data would create problems for researchers tracking long-term climate trends.
In short, the hockey stick appears to be a real and accurate description of recent climate trends.
Detecting a climate trend, the scientists said, will take at least another decade of satellite measurements.
Weather is the noise, long-term climate trends are the signal.
Scientists who study global climate trends concede, however, that the computer models on which they base their predictions are flawed.
The Exeter meeting will probably set the tone for the next review of climate trends and causes.
The characteristics of both climate trends are found throughout the department to a greater or lesser extent:
"I've been looking at the long-term climate trends," he said.