ALESS open data portal

Background

The Earth's climate has always been changing. In the last 650,000 years, there have been seven cycles of warming and cooling. However, the current period of global warming is different because scientists believe it is being caused by human activities, especially burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas), which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

This warming is causing changes around the world, including: Rising global temperatures, melting ice and glaciers, rising sea levels, more extreme weather events (heat waves, storms, droughts), changes in plant and animal habitats, impacts on agriculture and water supplies.

Research on climate change involves many fields: atmospheric science, oceanography, ecology, economics, and social science. Open data allows researchers to track changes over time and understand their causes and effects.

Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan Meteorological Agency (2018). Synthesis Report on Observations, Projections and Impact Assessments of Climate Change, https://www.env.go.jp/earth/tekiou/pamph2018_full_Eng.pdf Accessed April 7, 2020.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (2020). Climate Change: How Do We Know? https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ Accessed April 7, 2020.

Data Sources

Global Temperature Data

1. NASA GISS Surface Temperature Analysis

https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/

Global temperature records from 1880 to present
Shows how temperatures have changed over time
Data can be downloaded as CSV files for analysis
Good for: Analyzing long-term temperature trends

2. NOAA Climate at a Glance

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/

Easy-to-use tool with temperature and precipitation data
Can select different regions and time periods
Creates graphs automatically, but data can also be downloaded
Good for: Comparing temperature changes in different regions

3. Our World in Data - Climate Change

https://ourworldindata.org/climate-change

User-friendly website with many climate topics
All data and graphs are free to download
Clear explanations alongside the data
Good for: Getting started and understanding different climate topics

CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Data

4. NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory

https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/

Famous "Keeling Curve" showing CO2 levels over time
Monthly measurements from 1958 to present
Simple data format, easy to download
Good for: Studying the relationship between CO2 and time

5. Our World in Data - CO2 Emissions

https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions

Emissions data by country from 1750 to present
Can compare different countries
Includes per capita (per person) emissions
Good for: Comparing emissions between countries or over time

Ice and Ocean Data

6. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)

https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/

Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extent data
Monthly data available for download
Graphs and maps show changes over time
Good for: Analyzing sea ice trends

7. NASA Sea Level Change

https://sealevel.nasa.gov/

Global and regional sea level data
Satellite measurements from 1993 to present
Interactive maps and downloadable data
Good for: Studying sea level rise trends

Climate Dashboards (Multiple Topics)

8. Climate Watch

https://www.climatewatchdata.org/

Country emissions data and climate policies
Can compare countries' climate commitments
Interactive visualizations with download options
Good for: Comparing national climate actions and emissions

9. Copernicus Climate Change Service

https://climate.copernicus.eu/

European climate monitoring with global data
Temperature, precipitation, sea ice, and more
More advanced, but very comprehensive
Good for: Students wanting detailed climate indicator data

Japan-Specific Data (if studying Japan)

10. Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) - Climate Data

https://www.data.jma.go.jp/stats/data/en/index.html

Official Japanese climate statistics
Temperature, precipitation, and other climate variables
Data from weather stations across Japan
Monthly climate statistics: https://www.data.jma.go.jp/stats/data/en/smp/index.html
Good for: Studying climate change in Japan or comparing Japanese cities

11. JMA - Climate Change in Japan Report

https://www.data.jma.go.jp/cpdinfo/ccj/index.html

Comprehensive report on observed and projected climate change in Japan
2025 edition available (PDF with English summary)
Temperature trends, precipitation changes, extreme events
Good for: Understanding climate change impacts specific to Japan

12. Our World in Data - Japan Energy and Emissions

https://ourworldindata.org/co2/country/japan

Japan's CO2 emissions and energy data
Easy comparison with other countries
Historical data from 1750 to present
Good for: Studying Japan's emissions trends and comparing with other nations

13. Japan-Asia Climate Data Program (JCDP)

https://jcdp.jp/

Historical climate data for Japan and Asia
Includes both modern and historical records
Temperature and precipitation data
Good for: Long-term climate analysis in Japan and Asia

Example research questions

To answer some of these questions, you might need to find other data to combine with the climate change data (e.g., global deforestation, use of renewable energy sources, sales of electric vehicles, glacier coverage, urbanization rates, industrial development).

What is the main contributing factor to climate change in the 20th century?

What measures need to be taken to control climate change under different warming scenarios?

How effective would planting more trees be in controlling climate change?

What is the relationship between a country's economic development and its carbon emissions?

How do renewable energy adoption rates relate to changes in national emissions?

Is there a relationship between urbanization and local temperature increases?

Tips for Using Climate Data

Getting Started:

Start simple - choose one specific question you want to answer
Begin with user-friendly sources like Our World in Data or NOAA Climate at a Glance
Download small datasets first to practice analyzing them
Look at the graphs on these websites to understand what patterns to look for

For Your Analysis:

Most climate data uses temperature "anomalies" (difference from average) rather than actual temperatures
Pay attention to the time period covered by your data
Check whether data is annual, monthly, or daily
Make sure you understand the units (°C vs °F, tons vs kilograms, etc.)

Making Comparisons:

When comparing countries, consider using "per capita" (per person) data
Look at both short-term (10-20 years) and long-term (50+ years) trends
Consider both global and regional patterns

Citation: Always cite your data sources. Include:

Organization name
Dataset name
URL
Date you accessed the data

Example: "NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP v4). https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/ (accessed October 5, 2025)"

Questions? Need Help?

If you're not sure which data source to use, ask your ALESS professor
Start with the "Example Research Questions" to get ideas
Most websites have "About" or "Methods" sections explaining their data
It's okay to start with simple questions - you can always make them more complex later

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