![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() and global surface temperature patterns over time. Because climate change can shift the wind patterns and ocean currents that drive the world’s climate system, some areas are warming more than others, and some have experienced cooling. In response, average temperatures at the Earth’s surface are increasing and are expected to continue rising. Changes in temperature can disrupt a wide range of natural processes, particularly if these changes occur more quickly than plant and animal species can adapt.Ĭoncentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are increasing in the Earth’s atmosphere (see the Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases indicator). Annual and seasonal temperature patterns also determine the types of animals and plants that can survive in particular locations. For example, increases in air temperature can lead to more intense heat waves (see the Heat Waves indicator), which can cause illness and death, especially in vulnerable populations. Temperature is a fundamental measurement for describing the climate, and the temperature in particular places can have wide-ranging effects on human life and ecosystems. Not all of these regional trends are statistically significant, however. The North, the West, and Alaska have seen temperatures increase the most, while some parts of the Southeast have experienced little change. Some parts of the United States have experienced more warming than others (see Figure 3).Since the late 1970s, however, the United States has warmed faster than the global rate. Global average surface temperature has risen at an average rate of 0.17☏ per decade since 1901 (see Figure 2), similar to the rate of warming within the contiguous 48 states. Worldwide, 2016 was the warmest year on record, 2020 was the second-warmest, and 2012–2021 was the warmest decade on record since thermometer-based observations began.Nine of the top 10 warmest years on record for the contiguous 48 states have occurred since 1998, and 20 were the two warmest years on record. Average temperatures have risen more quickly since the late 1970s (0.32 to 0.55☏ per decade since 1979). Since 1901, the average surface temperature across the contiguous 48 states has risen at an average rate of 0.17☏ per decade (see Figure 1). ![]()
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