NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies team collected data on 2005 temperatures and found that the annual mean global temperature data for January through December was higher than the average for those months in 1998, which was the previous record-breaking warmest year.
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Surface Temperature Analysis at data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/
The annual mean global surface temperature differs by 0.6 degrees Celsius from the base period (1951.1980) mean, and 0.8 degrees Celsius in the past century. After 2005 and 1998, the next warmest years are 2002 and 2003, respectively. The 2004 meteorological year follows as the subsequent warmest year.
Record warmth in 2005 is notable, because global temperature has not received any boost from a tropical El Niņo this year. The prior record year, 1998, on the contrary, was lifted 0.2 degrees Celsius above the trend line by the strongest El Niņo of the past century.
Recent warming coincides with rapid growth of human-made greenhouse gases. Climate models show that the rate of warming is consistent with expectations.
Implications: The observed rapid warming gives enormous urgency to discussions about how to slow greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; models project continued increases in both GHG concentrations and, thus, global temperature unless considerable reductions are taken.
