Earth ID: 13799

NASA Finds 2020 Tied for Hottest Year on Record

Released on January 14, 2021

Globally, 2020 was the hottest year on record, effectively tying 2016, the previous record. Overall, Earth’s average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1880s.
Temperatures are increasing due to human activities, specifically emissions of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane.

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Complete transcript available.

This data visualization of black carbon from the GEOS forward processinf (GEOS-FP) model shows the abundande and direction of black carbon from New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland blowing through the atmosphere from November 1-18.

The summer of 2020 was marked by extremefires in Siberia and the Western United States. Series of extensive and powerful wildfires charred vast swaths of forest and shrubland and altered the composition of the atmosphere in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Credits

Kathryn Mersmann (USRA): Lead Producer
Katie Jepson (USRA): Lead Producer
Jessica Merzdorf (Telophase): Lead Writer
Sofie L. Bates (Intern): Lead Writer
Peter H. Jacobs (NASA/GSFC): Public Affairs Officer
Gavin A. Schmidt (NASA/GSFC GISS): Lead Scientist
Lesley Ott (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC): Lead Visualizer
Trent L. Schindler (USRA): Visualizer
Jefferson Beck (USRA): Producer
Kathleen Gaeta (GSFC Interns): Producer
Jacob Richmond (NASA/GSFC): Public Affairs Officer
Joshua Stevens (SSAI): Data Visualizer

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Keywords:
DLESE >> Atmospheric science
SVS >> Climate
SVS >> HDTV
DLESE >> Human geography
DLESE >> Natural hazards
SVS >> Sea Ice
SVS >> Temperature
SVS >> Temperature Trend
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Climate Indicators
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere >> Atmospheric Phenomena >> Hurricanes
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Human Dimensions >> Natural Hazards >> Fires
SVS >> Global Temperature
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0