Accurately calibrated satellite hyperspectral radiance measurements enable the retrieval of atmospheric thermodynamic profiles with high vertical resolution and with the relative accuracy required for the detection of climate change. A computational fast all cloud condition atmospheric profile retrieval algorithm has been developed that provides atmospheric state observations based solely on the satellite spectral radiance observations. Climate trends in atmospheric variables are obtained from eight consecutive years (2003-2010) of Aqua satellite AIRS radiance data. Also, the same retrieval algorithm has been applied to Nimbus satellite IRIS hyperspectral radiance observations obtained in 1971 to provide a 40-year old climate benchmark in the global state of the atmosphere to compare with contemporary observations. Climate trend results of vertically resolved atmospheric temperature and moisture retrieved from the satellite radiance observations are compared with trends of similar variables deduced from the ECMWF ERA-40 and ERA-Interim analyses of global atmospheric sounding observations.