El Nino, the cyclic warming of the Pacific Ocean, is largely responsible for the recent worldwide period of higher than average temperatures. February was the sixth warmest since records began in 1880, but Januarys record high means that the two-month period was the warmest worldwide. The averages were obtained by combining land and ocean surface temperatures. The only exceptions were areas of the Middle East and central areas of the United States, which did not experience record temperatures. Some of the largest temperature increases occurred in high latitudes around the Artic Circle, where wildlife has responded to the early spring-like weather. Should March not follow the trend and a wintry spell return, some of the species that have woken early from hibernation or started breeding prematurely may experience problems.
Question: If the average had been based only on land temperatures rather than land and ocean temperatures, the result would have been cooler.
Options:
A. true
B. false
C. uncertain
Answer: C