Blocks of shares purchased in the earlier years may require
numerous basis adjustments, while shares purchased more recently would be affected only by the more recent dividends.
Mann had discovered that the relentless
adjustments made to the land
based thermometer record had caused that record to diverge from reality, and he had identified a need to re-examine the land
based thermometer record and to consider the accuracy and efficacy of the
numerous adjustments made to the record between 1980 and 1997 that had caused the land
based thermometer record to diverge.