2014 Hottest Year on Record
Thursday, January 8th, 2015January 8, 2015
The first of four official reports on global temperature published annually has concluded that 2014 was the hottest year on record. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that the average global temperature in 2014 was 1.1 Fahrenheit degrees (0.6 Celsius degree) above the average for the 1900′s. That puts 2014 ahead of 1998, the previous warmest year, by about 0.1 Fahrenheit (0.06 Celsius) degree. Additional reports expected soon from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA in the United States and the Meteorological Office Hadley Centre for Climate Change in the United Kingdom are expected to confirm the JMA’s findings. The four organizations use ground measurements and satellite data to reach their conclusions. All 10 of Earth’s hottest recorded years have come since 1998. In addition, 14 of the 15 hottest years measured have all occurred since 2000.
Scientists estimate that Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by about 1.4 Fahrenheit degrees (0.76 Celsius degree) from the mid-1800′s to the early 2000′s. Researchers have also found that most of the temperature increase occurred from the mid-1900’s to the 2000’s. Natural processes have caused Earth’s climate to change in the distant past. But strong scientific evidence shows that human activities have caused most of the warming since the mid-1900′s.
According to the JMA, record temperatures in Europe, Australia and other parts of the Pacific region, and California helped drive up global records. Seasonal temperatures also climbed. In 2014, spring, summer and fall all saw global highs. Only winter 2014 failed to enter the record books. However, it was the sixth-warmest winter ever measured.
Additional World Book articles:
- Global warming
- The Great Meltdown (a special report)
- Methane (a special report)
- Meltdown: Climate Change in the Arctic (a special report)
- Probing the History of Climate Change (a special report)
- What We Know About Climate Change (a special report)