NASA Releases Global Temperatures for First Half Of 2016
- Edited by:
- Michael Randazzo
- Produced by:
- Clare Skelly
- View full credits
The last two years broke former global temperature records, so all eyes are on 2016. Compared to the 135-year-old modern temperature record – the first five months of 2016 were the warmest ever measured for each respective month.
On Tuesday July 19, NASA released its updated global temperature analysis for 2016. The data provides strong insights regarding long-term climate change.
With striking evidence of long-term climate change, NASA scientists are conducting major field research campaigns – flying over melting Arctic sea ice and taking measurements on the ground – to better understand the processes behind and impacts of a warming planet. Our planet is changing, and NASA is on it.
*** To Book a Window ***Contact Clare Skelly – clare.a.skelly@nasa.gov / (301) 286-4994
Suggested questions:
1. NASA just released new temperature data, what can you tell us about the first half of 2016?
2. What are the impacts of this heat?
3. So NASA scientists are in the Arctic right now, how are they observing these changes?
4. How does this science help us plan for the future?
5. Where can we learn more?
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New video from NASA's Operation IceBridge mission. Operation IceBridge is an airborne survey of polar ice and the mission just completed its first flights studying the aquamarine pools of melt water on the ice surface that may be accelerating the overall sea ice retreat.
During this summer campaign, IceBridge will map the extent, frequency and depth of melt ponds like these to help scientists forecast the Arctic sea ice yearly minimum extent in September.
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Editor
- Michael Randazzo (AIMM) [Lead]
Producers
- Clare Skelly (NASA/GSFC) [Lead]
- Matthew Radcliff (KBRwyle)
- Michelle Handleman (KBRwyle)
Related pages
Record-Breaking Climate Trends Briefing – July 19, 2016
July 19, 2016, 8:15 a.m.
Read moreFigure 1 (Schmidt) –– This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays global surface temperature anomalies for the period January 2016 through June 2016. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower then normal termperatures are shown in blue.Credit: NASA/GISS Two key climate change indicators have broken numerous records through the first half of 2016, according to NASA analyses of ground-based observations and satellite data.Each of the first six months of 2016 set a record as the warmest respective month globally in the modern temperature record, which dates to 1880. Meanwhile, five of the first six months set records for the smallest monthly Arctic sea ice extent since consistent satellite records began in 1979.NASA will host a media teleconference at 1:00 PM EDT on Tuesday, July 19, to discuss the latest insights into these two key climate indicators, and what this means for our future climate.Participating in the briefing:* Gavin Schmidt, director of Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), New York, New York* Walt Meier, sea ice scientist at NASA s Earth ObservatoryView the June 14, 2015, MODIS imageView the September 1, 2015, MODIS imageCredit: Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response Figure 11 (Miller) -- Photographs taken in the same place in 1987 and 2013 on Herschel Island, Yukon Territory, Canada, show the expanded growth of shrubs as the Arctic has warmed in recent decades.Credit: Myers-Smith et al, Ambio Figure 12 (Miller) -- At continental scales, satellite data since the 1980s have indicated increased vegetation productivity (greening) across northern high latitudes, and a productivity decline (browning) for certain areas of undisturbed boreal forest of Canada and Alaska. This image shows the change in the vegetation trend over Canada and Alaska between 1984 and 2012. Green colors indicate an increase while brown colors indicate a decrease.Credit: NASA/GSFC/Scientific Visualization Studio/Cindy Starr