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These
atmospheric changes have been paralleled by increases in global mean surface air
temperatures (of between 0.3-0.6 ° C) and sea level rise
(between 10-25 cm) over the past century . The temperature trend is statistically
significant, and is considered unlikely to be of natural origin. Furthermore, the output
of climate models that incorporate the effects of greenhouse gases and tropospheric
aerosols show similar temporal and spatial patterns to those seen in historical climate
data. These observations support the conclusion that, despite remaining uncertainties:
"The balance of evidence suggests
that there is a discernible human influence on global climate” (IPCC, 1996) .
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