[cogitator]

Please elucidate how GISS is constructed (see climateaudit.org for example).

And while we're doing that, let's also see if we can figure out why spring is earlier and fall is later over the past 130 years or so -- just in case we're concerned GISS might be wildly in error or something like that.

Global Warming Rushes Timing of Spring

(I'm a little curious where that 8 hours earlier spring green-up since 1982 is from)

[palmer]

spring is earlier and fall is later

There's been global warming, who knew? The problem is that looking closely you won't find a very good match to the GISS data. Take almost any example at random (e.g. http://www.ouranos.ca/doc/Indicateurs/Vincent.pdf) and you will see overall warming with no particular match to GISS. Different parameters (e.g. record lows vs last frost) have very different curves. A lot of them are flat since the 1970's where GISS has its big warming.