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Last decade confirmed as Earth's hottest on record

Scientists have confirmed the last decade to be the hottest on record
Scientists have confirmed the last decade to be the hottest on record

New analyses by researchers representing a number of leading scientific organizations has shed further light on the trend of rising global temperatures. NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the World Meteorological Organization and the UK Met Office have determined 2019 to be the second warmest year on record, with the last decade confirmed to be the hottest on record.

Record-keeping of global temperatures dates back to the 1880s, and the latest study of the data has confirmed 2019 to be behind only 2016 in terms of heat. Global temperatures across the year were 1.8° F (0.98° C) above the 20th-century average and just 0.07° F (0.04° C) cooler than those of 2016, according to analysis by NOAA and NASA’s scientists.

Following analysis of climate models and statistical analysis of the temperature data taken from more than 20,000 monitoring stations, the scientists are unequivocal in attributing the majority of this increased warming to the growing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“We crossed over into more than 2° F (1.1°C) warming territory in 2015 and we are unlikely to go back,” NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies Director Gavin Schmidt. "This shows that what’s happening is persistent, not a fluke due to some weather phenomenon: we know that the long-term trends are being driven by the increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”

NASA researchers also confirmed that the Arctic continues to be particularly vulnerable to climate change, with the region warming more than three times faster than the rest of the world since 1970.

NOAA used a slightly different method of analysis of the same temperature data and found global temperatures in 2019 to be 1.7° F (0.95° C) above the 20th century average. This finding, that 2019 was the second hottest year on record, was backed up by separate analysis from the UK’s Met Office along with the World Meteorological Organization.

“The decade that just ended is clearly the warmest decade on record,” says Schmidt. “Every decade since the 1960s clearly has been warmer than the one before.”

The NASA animation below offers an overlook of this warming trend, along with other insights from the analysis.

Sources: NASA, NOAA, UK Met Office, World Meteorological Organization

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6 comments
paul-andre
silly. 100 years of data is NOT a measure of climate change in a many Billion year old planet. Besides, there were not 20,000 monitoring stations dating back to the 1880s. The temperature of the planet is regulated by the sun, the galaxy and likely other galaxies and intergalactic phenomena. A good scientist would not rule out solar activity in the model of the climate on earth.
bwana4swahili
Take a look at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=517464052091787 for a valid reason for climate change. And it isn't CO2!
buzzclick
Hey people, the ones who're deniers, there's almost 8 billion of us eating and crapping around out there with no major asteroid impacts or volcano eruptions to turn us into extinct dyno-sores, so if you think this warming business isn't serious you better get your heads out of your asses. It's not just a temperature increase either. The pollution levels, the acidification of the oceans, 60% percent of the animal species are gone, plastic turning up in places we never thought of, we're capable of blowing ourselves up dozens of times over...So what's the matter? The alarm bells aren't loud enough for you? So it's: Keep Calm, Carry On? There's no way how the planet is being affected by human activity can be considered normal, solar flares included. We are becoming our own executioners. Sorry, but I'm being over dramatic for a reason.
RolandReagan
The 1930's was the hottest decade in the US. The current "fiddled" data is rubbish.
holdenmidfield
Are we polluting the atmosphere or aren’t we? It’s as simple as that. Even if there was no noticeable effects, would it be a good idea to keep polluting the air we breath? Some of the denial types here sound suspiciously like industry hacks. If you work for or financially benefit from coal, oil or gas industry, just say so. If not, what is your motivation? Are you so locked into your delusional ideas that no amount of science will change it? How high does the fever have to get before we agree that the patient is sick?
ljaques
OHMYGODWEREALLGONNADIEAGAINAGAIN! Thank you, Ian. When you look at NASA & NOAA, you find two entities soiled by the same climate alarmist forefather, James Hansen. The Met is similarly soiled by climate alarmists who gave us Climategate, the Climatic Research Unit at East Anglia. The WMP openly admits it uses NASA, NOAA, and Met data exclusively. Gee, isn't that interesting that they all agree on their outrageous data models, both where we are and where we're going? <sigh> // Everyone on Earth is not aware of how poorly we treated the Earth in the past, and most are doing something about it. Nothing in any/all of the Climate Agreements will make a whit of difference except to de-technologize the West. Ignore the climate alarmist lies or you may end up with UN blue caps running your country and your life with your bank account and life savings. Ban Agenda 2030. Crimate Chang did not cause forest fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, or anything else they seem to want to blame on simple weather. If it gets hotter or colder, it's due to the state of the Sun, not our driving habits. And you can take that to the bank.