Five-Year Average Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2011
- Visualizations by:
- Lori Perkins
- View full credits
"We know the planet is absorbing more energy than it is emitting," said GISS director James E. Hansen. "So we are continuing to see a trend toward higher temperatures. Even with the cooling effects of a strong La Ni?a influence and low solar activity for the past several years, 2011 was one of the 10 warmest years on record."
The difference between 2011 and the warmest year in the GISS record (2010) is 0.22 degrees F (0.12 C). This underscores the emphasis scientists put on the long-term trend of global temperature rise as opposed to year-to-year variations. Because of the large natural variability of climate, scientists do not expect annual temperatures to rise consistently each year. However, they do expect a continuing temperature rise over decades. The first 11 years of the 21st century experienced notably higher temperatures compared to the middle and late 20th century, Hansen said.
For more information on the GISS temperature analysis, visit
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
Data provided by Robert B. Schmunk (NASA/GSFC GISS)
Animator
- Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC) [Lead]
Writer
- Patrick Lynch (NASA/GSFC)
Scientists
- James Hansen (NASA/GSFC GISS)
- Kwok-Wai Ken Lo (SIGMA Space Partners, LLC.)
- Makiko Sato (Columbia University, Center for Climate Systems Research)
- Reto A. Ruedy (SIGMA Space Partners, LLC.)
- Robert B Schmunk (SIGMA Space Partners, LLC.)
Project support
- Robert B Schmunk (SIGMA Space Partners, LLC.)
Papers
This visualization is based on the following papers:*Hansen, J., R. Ruedy, Mki. Sato, and K. Lo, 2010: Global surface temperature change. Rev. Geophys., 48, RG4004, doi:10.1029/2010RG000345.
Model documentation, including the ModelE specification and results from three standard configurations, is given in the following journal article:
* Schmidt, G.A., R. Ruedy, J.E. Hansen, I. Aleinov, N. Bell, M. Bauer, S. Bauer, B. Cairns, V. Canuto, Y. Cheng, A. Del Genio, G. Faluvegi, A.D. Friend, T.M. Hall, Y. Hu, M. Kelley, N.Y. Kiang, D. Koch, A.A. Lacis, J. Lerner, K.K. Lo, R.L. Miller, L. Nazarenko, V. Oinas, Ja. Perlwitz, Ju. Perlwitz, D. Rind, A. Romanou, G.L. Russell, Mki. Sato, D.T. Shindell, P.H. Stone, S. Sun, N. Tausnev, D. Thresher, and M.-S. Yao 2006. Present day atmospheric simulations using GISS ModelE: Comparison to in-situ, satellite and reanalysis data. J. Climate 19, 153-192.
Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Datasets used in this visualization
GISTEMP (Collected with the GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP) sensor)
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.