According to an analysis by NASA, Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record.
- The year’s (2020) globally averaged temperature was 1.84 degrees Fahrenheit (1.02 degrees Celsius) warmer than the baseline 1951-1980 mean, says NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York.
- 2020 edged out 2016 by a very small amount, within the margin of error of the analysis, making the years effectively tied for the warmest year on record.
- The last seven years have been the warmest seven years on record, typifying the ongoing and dramatic warming trend.
- Tracking global temperature trends provides a critical indicator of the impact of human activities – specifically, greenhouse gas emissions – on our planet.
- Earth’s average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century.
(Source: NASA)
