Our Warming World
Global temperatures have risen 1.2°C since pre-industrial levels. The last decade was the hottest in 125,000 years. This isn't just data — it's the analytical evidence of a changing planet.
2024: Hottest Year on Record
Observed temperatures reached unprecedented levels globally.
10 Warmest Years: All Since 2014
Accelerated warming pattern confirmed over the last decade.
420 ppm CO₂
Concentration levels highest in millions of years.
3.6mm/yr Sea Rise
Current annual rate of global mean sea level increase.
What the Data Tells Us
Multiple independent lines of evidence confirm that Earth's climate is warming at an unprecedented rate. Below are the key findings from the latest scientific assessments.
+1.45°C Above Pre-Industrial
The 2024 global average surface temperature exceeded the 1850–1900 baseline by 1.45°C, making it the warmest year in the instrumental record. The past nine years (2016–2024) are the nine warmest on record.
Warming Rate: 0.20°C/Decade
Since 1980, the rate of warming has more than doubled compared to the preceding century. The current decadal warming rate of 0.20°C is unprecedented in the paleoclimate record.
CO₂ at 420 ppm — 150% of Pre-Industrial
Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have increased by 50% since 1750, primarily from fossil fuel combustion and land-use change. Current levels exceed anything seen in at least 800,000 years.
Sea Levels Rising at 3.6 mm/yr
Global mean sea level has risen by approximately 24 cm since 1880, with the rate accelerating. Thermal expansion of warming oceans and melting land ice are the primary drivers.
Climate Data Explorer
Global Temperature Anomaly
Interactive 145-year record with NASA GISTEMP data. Explore annual anomalies, decadal trends, and 5-year moving averages.
Carbon Dioxide Levels
The Keeling Curve and beyond. Track atmospheric CO₂ from ice core records to real-time Mauna Loa measurements.
Sea Level Rise
Satellite altimetry and tide gauge data tracking global and regional sea level change since 1880.
Climate Milestones: 1880–2024
Early Instrumental Record Begins
NASA GISTEMP dataset initiates. Global temperatures relatively stable, fluctuating within ±0.3°C of the 1951–1980 baseline. Industrial CO₂ emissions at ~2 billion tonnes annually.
The Great Acceleration
Post-WWII industrial expansion drives rapid emissions growth. CO₂ reaches 325 ppm. Keeling Curve measurements begin at Mauna Loa (1958), providing the first continuous atmospheric CO₂ record.
Warming Acceleration Confirmed
Global temperatures begin rising at 0.18°C/decade. IPCC First Assessment Report (1990) concludes human activities are substantially increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. 1998 becomes the warmest year on record (at the time) during a super El Niño event.
The Warmest Decades in Recorded History
Every year from 2000–2020 ranks among the warmest on record. Paris Agreement adopted (2015) targeting 1.5°C limit. CO₂ surpasses 400 ppm (2013). Arctic sea ice reaches record minimum (2012).
Uncharted Territory
2024 confirmed as hottest year on record at +1.45°C above pre-industrial. CO₂ hits 420 ppm. Nine warmest years all occur since 2014. Accelerating ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica. Global sea level rise rate reaches 3.6 mm/yr.
Why 1.5°C Matters
The Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target isn't arbitrary. It represents a critical threshold beyond which the risk of triggering irreversible climate tipping points increases dramatically — including ice sheet collapse, permafrost thaw, and ecosystem dieback.
At current emission rates, we are on track to exceed 1.5°C of warming by the early 2030s. Every fraction of a degree matters: limiting warming to 1.5°C instead of 2.0°C would expose 420 million fewer people to extreme heatwaves and reduce the risk of an ice-free Arctic summer from once per decade to once per century.
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