Science Sources: Detection and Attribution

Climate Signals tracks detection and attribution studies in real time. Below is an updating database of studies that find the fingerprint of human-caused climate change on observed trends and events. The database is limited to studies of local significance in the United States and studies of global significance. For a broader database of peer-reviewed studies and organizational reports on climate change trends, please see all Science Sources.

Search or browse our collection of detection and attribution studies below, or learn more about detection and attribution studies.

Title Source Date Author(s)
Anthropogenic Warming of Earth's Climate System Science Sydney Levitus, John I. Antonov, Julian Wang, Thomas L. Delworth, Keith W. Dixon, Anthony J. Broccoli
Attributing Causes of 2015 Record Minimum Sea-Ice Extent in the Sea of Okhotsk AMS Journal of Climate Seungmok Paik, Seung-Ki Min, and Yeon-Hee Kim
Multi-model attribution of upper-ocean temperature changes using an isothermal approach Scientific Reports Evan Weller, Seung-Ki Min, Matthew D. Palmer, Donghyun Lee, Bo Young Yim, Sang-Wook Yeh
Attribution of the local Hadley cell widening in the Southern Hemisphere Geophysical Research Letters Yeon‐Hee Kim, Seung‐Ki Min, Seok‐Woo Son, Jung Choi
The contribution of anthropogenic forcings to regional changes in temperature during the last decade Climate Dynamics Nikolaos Christidis, Peter A. Stott, Francis W. Zwiers, Hideo Shiogama, Toru Nozawa
Human-caused Indo-Pacific warm pool expansion Science Advances Evan Weller, Seung-Ki Min, Wenju Cai, Francis W. Zwiers, Yeon-Hee Kim, Donghyun Lee
Attributing northern high-latitude precipitation change over the period 1966–2005 to human influence Climate Dynamics Hui Wan, Xuebin Zhang, Francis Zwiers, Seung-Ki Min
Attribution of extreme temperature changes during 1951–2010 Climate Dynamics Yeon-Hee Kim, Seung-Ki Min, Xuebin Zhang, Francis Zwiers, Lisa V. Alexander, Markus G. Donat, Yu-Shiang Tung
Attribution of the spring snow cover extent decline in the Northern Hemisphere, Eurasia and North America to anthropogenic influence Climatic Change Mohammad Reza Najafi, Francis W. Zwiers, Nathan P. Gillett
Identification of external influences on temperatures in California Climatic Change Céline Bonfils, Philip B. Duffy, Benjamin D. Santer, Tom M. L. Wigley, David B. Lobell, Thomas J. Phillips, Charles Doutriaux
Are observed decadal changes in intermediate water masses a signature of anthropogenic climate change? Geophysical Research Letters Helene T. Banks, Richard A. Wood, Jonathan M. Gregory, Timothy C. Johns, Gareth S. Jones
Detecting Greenhouse-Gas-Induced Climate Change with an Optimal Fingerprint Method AMS Journal of Climate Hegerl, G.C., H.v. Storch, K. Hasselmann, B.D. Santer, U. Cubasch, and P.D. Jones
EEE 2014: Record Annual Mean Warmth Over Europe, the Northeast Pacific, and the Northwest Atlantic During 2014: Assessment of Anthropogenic Influence Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Jonghun Kam, Thomas R. Knutson, Fanrong Zeng, and Andrew T. Wittenberg
Attribution of twentieth century temperature change to natural and anthropogenic causes Climate Dynamics P. A. Stott, S. F. B. Tett, G. S. Jones, M. R. Allen, W. J. Ingram, J. F. B. Mitchell
Estimation of natural and anthropogenic contributions to twentieth century temperature change Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Simon F. B. Tett, Gareth S. Jones, Peter A. Stott, David C. Hill, John F. B. Mitchell, Myles R. Allen, William J. Ingram, Tim C. Johns, Colin E. Johnson, Andy Jones, David L. Roberts, David M. H. Sexton, Margaret J. Woodage
Detection of a Human Influence on North American Climate Science David J. Karoly, Karl Braganza, Peter A. Stott, Julie M. Arblaster, Gerald A. Meehl, Anthony J. Broccoli, Keith W. Dixon
Human Contribution to the Lengthening of the Growing Season during 1950–99 AMS Journal of Climate Nikolaos Christidis, Peter A. Stott, and Simon Brown
Increased record-breaking precipitation events under global warming Climatic Change Jascha Lehmann, Dim Coumou, Katja Frieler
Attribution of the June-July 2013 Heat Wave in the Southwestern United States Meteorological Society of Japan Hideo Shiogama, Masahiro Watanabe, Yukiko Imada, Masato Mori, Youichi Kamae, Masayoshi Ishii, Masahide Kimoto
EEE 2014: How Unusual was the Cold Winter of 2013/14 in the Upper Midwest? Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Klaus Wolter, Jon K. Eischeid, Xiao-Wei Quan, and Thomas N. Chase