At many places around the world, it is possible to feel the climate changing: the ice cracking, the soil waking earlier in the spring. Perhaps such feelings are merely rooted in a heightened awareness of global warming. Whatever the case, the true significance of such localized experiences can be assessed only through extensive data on key Earth processes over time. Given the effects of those processes, it would be smart and responsible for policy-makers and scientists to focus on strengthening the international strategy for collecting key Earth observations for the foreseeable future. After all, data on such variables as soil moisture, wind speed and direction at various altitudes, and atmospheric temperature and pressure are essential for improving climate models in the future, and for informing mitigation efforts.
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