Tag Archives: international

July 2015: Warmest Month on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with July 2015 marking not only the warmest July on record, but the warmest month ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to a report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 61.86°F, which is 1.46°F above the 20th century average. It surpassed the previous record set in 1998, which was also an El Niño year, by 0.14°F.

July 2015 also marked the 39th consecutive July that our global temperature was above its long-term norm. NOAA says that July – which is climatologically the planet’s warmest month – has been getting hotter over the years. Records show that the temperature for the month is currently increasing at an average rate of 1.17°F per century.

For the oceans, the globally averaged sea surface temperature for the month was 1.35°F above the 20th century average of 61.5°F.  That is the highest departure on record for any month. According to NOAA, the ten highest monthly departures from average for ocean temperatures have all occurred since April 2014.

While heat dominated most of the planet in July, some places were particularly warm. Heat waves in Europe pushed temperatures to record levels across the region. In fact, it was the warmest July on record for both Austria and Spain. Here in the contiguous US, temperatures were slightly warmer than average, but no state set a new record high. This difference highlights the fact that climate change is a complex global phenomenon that involves much more than what is happening in our own backyards.

Year to date, the first seven months of 2015 were the warmest of any year on record. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

June 2015: Warmest June on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with June 2015 marking the warmest June ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to a report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 61.48°F, which is 1.58°F above the 20th century average. It surpassed the previous record set last year by 0.22°F and marked the fourth highest monthly departure from average for any month on record.

June was also the third month this year to break its monthly temperature record, joining  March and May. The other months of 2015 each posted readings that ranked in their top five warmest.

For the oceans, the globally averaged sea surface temperature for the month was 1.33°F above the 20th century average of 61.5°F.  That is the warmest reading on record for any June, eclipsing the previous record set just last year. It also tied with September 2014 as the highest monthly departure from average for any month.

While moderate El Niño conditions  – a natural climate pattern that boosts oceanic and atmospheric temperatures – played a role in June’s record heat, it does not tell the whole story. The long-term trend of human-caused climate change was also a key factor.  NOAA reports that fourteen of the fifteen warmest years on record have occurred since 2000 and they were not all El Niño years.

Year to date, the first six months of 2015 were the warmest of any year on record. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

How Climate Models Work

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Earth’s climate is a complex system with many interacting parts, including the atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice, and the sun. To better understand how it works and to make projections for its future behavior, scientists use computer-based simulations known as climate models.

These models, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), incorporate the physics and chemistry of the climate system’s various components. Using mathematical representations, they aim to answer questions such as when the next El Niño or La Niña event might develop and how the climate will respond to increasing amounts of greenhouse gas concentrations.

Developed from weather forecasting models, climate models look further out in time and involve an extremely large number of calculations. To run, they require very powerful computers. In fact, the WMO says it can take several months to complete a 50-year projection.

Dividing the planet into a three-dimensional grid, a climate model simulates the movement of air, water, and heat energy within each of its grid cells and evaluates interactions between them. All of these processes are based on the laws of physics.  When all the processes from all the grids are linked together over time and space, the model simulates Earth’s climate.

As with weather, there are a number of different climate models in use around the globe. Some, according to the IPCC, perform better than others for particular aspects of the climate system. The variations in predictions that they produce are generally the result of differences in initial conditions, different parameters for interactions between parts of the system, and different estimates of future greenhouse gas emissions. That said, all the climate models included in the IPCC report agree that Earth’s average temperature is rising and expect it to continue to rise in the future.

To see if a climate model will perform well, it is tested against the past. This is a process called Hindcasting. If a model accurately predicts climate trends that have already taken place, it is expected to predict what might happen in the future with a reasonable amount of certainty.  Models can also be refined as new sources of data become available.

Below is a short video by The National Academy of Sciences on the basics of climate modeling. Credit: NAS and YouTube.

May 2015: Warmest May on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued to rise last month. In fact, May 2015 was the warmest May ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to a report by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 60.17°F. That is 1.57°F above the 20th century average. The previous record was set last year. NOAA also said the May 2015 global temperature “ties with February 1998 as the fourth highest monthly departure from average for any month on record. The two highest monthly departures from average occurred earlier this year in February and March.”

While heat dominated most of the planet last month, some places were particularly warm. Here in the US, five states – Alaska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island – each had a record warm May.

Rising ocean temperatures, according to NOAA, helped fuel the month’s record warmth. The global sea surface temperature for May was 1.30°F above the 20th century average of 61.3°F.  That is the warmest on record for any May surpassing the previous record set just last year. It should be noted, however, that moderate El Niño conditions were present across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean last month.

Year to date, the first five months of 2015 were the warmest of any year on record. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

Deforestation and Climate Change

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Today is Arbor Day, a holiday that celebrates the importance of trees. As such, it seems appropriate to talk about the role deforestation plays in global climate change.

According to the World Wildlife Federation, deforestation and forest degradation account for 15% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. That makes it the second largest human-generated source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, behind only the burning of fossil fuels.

Forests are often called the “lungs” of our planet, as trees absorb CO2 and release oxygen as part of the process of photosynthesis. As such, forests act as carbon sinks. When cut down, the trees not only stop absorbing CO2, but they release it when they are burned or left to decompose. The WWF says we lose forests around the globe at the rate of 36 football fields every minute.

Deforestation is the large scale clearing of forests for other land uses. Its biggest drivers are agriculture and logging. In the tropics, where trees grow year round, forests are often cleared to make way for monoculture farms of palm oil or soybeans. While these crops also absorb CO2, it is far less than the amount absorbed and stored by native forests.

Deforestation also has localized climate impacts. Without trees to evaporate ground water and release it as water vapor though the process of transpiration, local climates tend to get drier. When it does rain, runoff increases and accelerates the rate of soil erosion. Deforestation also means a loss of habitat for numerous species of plants and animals, which lends itself to a decrease in biodiversity.

Recognizing the scale at which deforestation is impacting global climate change, policymakers at the UN adopted a set of policies known as REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). They offer monetary incentives to governments in developing nations to maintain and manage their forests more sustainably.  In facing the challenges of climate change, mitigation efforts are needed on all fronts.

Earth Day 2015

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Everyday is Earth Day, as the saying goes. Today, however, marks the official celebration.

The first Earth Day – spearheaded by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin – was held on April 22, 1970. An estimated 20 million people attended rallies across the country to protest against rampant industrial pollution and the deterioration of the nation’s natural environment. Raising public awareness and shifting the political tide, these events helped put environmental issues on the national agenda. They lead to the creation of the EPA and the passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

Today, forty-five years after the original, Earth Day is celebrated in 192 countries across the globe. Some communities have even expanded the celebration into Earth Week. These continuing efforts to raise environmental awareness are more important than ever as we face the challenges of Climate Change.

To learn more about Earth Day events near you and actions you can take to help the environment, visit: http://www.earthday.org/2015

To measure your personal carbon footprint, visit: http://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/

Image Credit: William Anders/NASA

Earthrise. Image Credit: William Anders/NASA

Warmest March on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued to rise last month. In fact, March 2015 was the warmest March ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to a report released on Friday by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 56.4°F. That is 1.53°F above the 20th century average. The previous record was set in March 2010. NOAA also said, “The March 2015 global temperature was the third highest monthly departure from average on record for any month.”

For those living in the northeastern United States, this news may come as a bit of surprise. Many cities in the region, including New York City, experienced an unusually cold and snowy March this year. This difference in local and global conditions, however, highlights the fact that climate change is a complex phenomenon that involves much more than what is happening in our own backyards.

Year to date, the first quarter of 2015 (January, February, and March) was the warmest of any year on record. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Winter 2014-15: Warmest on Record for Planet Earth

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Looking back at the winter of 2014-2015, conditions here in the northeastern United States were exceptionally cold and snowy. Globally, however, it was a record warm season!

According to a recent report from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, the meteorological winter of 2015 (December, January, and February) was the warmest winter ever recorded on this planet. Earth’s combined average temperature for the season – over both land and sea surfaces – was 55.22°F. That is 1.42°F above the 20th century average.  It surpassed the previous record set in the winter of 2006-07 by 0.07°F.

Rising ocean temperatures, according to NOAA, helped fuel the season’s record warmth. Between December and February, the average global ocean surface temperature was 61.67°F, which is 0.97°F above average and the third highest ever recorded for the three month period.

In the contiguous United States, this past winter was the 19th warmest on record with an average temperature of 34.3°F. That is 2.1°F. above the 20th century average. NOAA says the record warmth in the West outweighed the cold in the East.

While the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans are warming overall, this winter’s temperature anomalies (both above and below average) highlight the fact that climate change is a complex global phenomenon that involves much more than what is happening in our own backyards.

Year to date, 2015 is off to a record warm start. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Temperature Anomalies for Dec 2014 through Feb 2015. Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

One of the only cold spots this winter was the northeastern US. Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

World Meteorological Day 2015

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Today is World Meteorological Day, which commemorates the establishment of the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1950.  Each year, the agency celebrates with a different theme. This year, it is “Climate Knowledge for Climate Action.” To learn more, visit the WMO website.

WMD2015

Second Warmest February on Record for Planet Earth

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Temperatures around the globe soared last month. In fact, February 2015 was the second warmest February ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to a report released by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 55.38°F. That is 1.48°F above the 20th century average. The warmest February on record occurred in 1998, when the temperature was 1.55°F above average and El Niño conditions were in place.

For those living in the northeastern United States, this news may come as a bit of surprise. Many cities in the region experienced a frigid February this year. Here in New York City, it was the 3rd coldest on record. But, this difference in regional and global conditions highlights the fact that climate change is a complex phenomenon that involves much more than what is happening in our own backyards.

Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Global temperature departures from average for February 2015. Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Temperature departures from average for February 2015. Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC