For 3rd straight year this last year is the hottestNASA and NOAA announced today that 2016 was the hottest year on record globally – and the 3rd year in a row of record warming – continuing a decades-long warming trend.
Scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) analyzed measurements from 6,300 locations across the globe. They say that Earth’s average surface temperature has risen about 2.0 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since the late-19th century, largely a result of human emissions into the atmosphere. Scientists report that Earth’s 2016 surface temperatures were the warmest since modern record-keeping began in 1880, making 2016 the third consecutive hottest year in a row. The findings, announced today (January 18, 2017), are based on independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The data showed that in 2016, the average global temperatures were 1.78 degrees Fahrenheit (0.99 degrees Celsius) warmer than the mid-20th century mean. The 2016 temperatures continue a long-term warming trend, according to analyses by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. The video above has more about those analyses. GISS Director Gavin Schmidt said in a statement:
How much warmer was your city in 2016? Try this interactive tool According to a NASA statement:
According to the scientists, phenomena such as El Niño or La Niña, contribute to short-term variations in global average temperature. A warming El Niño event was in effect for most of 2015 and the first third of 2016. Researchers estimate the direct impact of the natural El Niño warming in the tropical Pacific increased the annual global temperature anomaly for 2016 by 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit (0.12 degrees Celsius). Although 2016 was the hottest year on record globally, not every region on Earth experienced record average temperatures last year. For example, both NASA and NOAA found the 2016 annual mean temperature for the contiguous 48 United States was the second warmest on record. In contrast, the Arctic experienced its warmest year ever, consistent with record low sea ice found in that region for most of the year. Enjoying EarthSky? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today! Bottom line: In a joint announcement on January 18, 2017, NASA and NOAA reported that 2016 was the hottest year on record globally, for the third consecutive year, continuing a decades-long warming trend.
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