What is the age of the base of the “Hockey Stick” where temperatures start to warm significantly?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks: What is the age of the base of the “Hockey Stick” where temperatures start to warm significantly?

First, note that the data provided for this item includes an answer of 1900 but does not list any answer options to evaluate. Without explicit options to compare, we cannot perform a traditional option-by-option analysis.

Nonetheless, we can reason about the concept. The famous Hockey Stick graph shows relatively stable, cooler temperatures for much of the prior centuries, followed by a pronounced uptick in the 20th century. The turning point where temperatures begin to rise more steeply is generally associated with the late 19th to early 20th century, with many summaries highlighting around the year 1900 as the base or starting point of the significant warming trend. From a climatological perspective, this corresponds to the period when industrial-era greenhouse gas emissions accelerate and instrumental temperature records begin to reflect rapid warming.

Why the year 1900 fits the prompt well: 
- It is commonly cited as the approximate base year for the modern warming period in brief summaries of the Hockey Stick. 
- It marks the transition from relatively gradual changes to a more pronounced warming phase that continues to the present.

Possible misconceptions to avoid: 
- Thinking the base is much earlier (e.g., 1800 or before) ignores the sharp inflection that occurs closer to the late 1800s and early 1900s. 
- Believing the base is after 1950 would place the inflection after large-scale industrialization has already driven sustained warming, which is not aligned with the typical visualization of the Hockey Stick. 
- Assuming the base year is tied to a specific dataset without acknowledging that the exact base can vary slightly between reconstructions and visual presentations.

In summary, given the provided answer and the conventional interpretation of the Hockey Stick, 1900 is a reasonable choice for the base year where temperatures begin to warm significantly, recognizing that some presentations may cite a nearby year depending on the dataset used.

Section Merge: Earth 103N (Spring 2025) Graded Midterm 1

What is the age of the base of the “Hockey Stick” where temperatures start to warm significantly?

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