Ballloon Temperature Record: The Early Years.

Before the satellite temperature record begins we may use the balloon ascent temperature records. It looks there is a very slight downward trend in this early data but it is not statistically significant. However, it is interesting that if set the average for the period of satellite records as zero (there is no trend in that record) then the average for the years before 1979 is about -.3 C. There was apparently a large change in the year 1978. I can't find anyone who can explain that. Explaining that jump will require new research.

Oort, A. H., H. Liu, and M. Rosenstein (1994). Global and hemispheric temperature anomalies derived from rawindsonde records. In Trends '93: A Compendium of Data on Global Climate Change. U.S. Dept. of Energy. 984 pp.