Global surface temperatures surged by a record amount from 2014 to 2016, boosting the total amount of warming since the start of the last century by more than 25 percent in just three years, according to new University of Arizona-led research.
Global surface temperatures surged by a record amount from 2014 to 2016, boosting the total amount of warming since the start of the last century by more than 25 percent in just three years, according to new University of Arizona-led research.
"Our paper is the first one to actually quantify this jump and identify the fundamental reason for this jump," said lead author Jianjun Yin, a UA associate professor of geosciences.
The Earth’s average surface temperature climbed about 1.6 degrees F (0.9 C) from 1900 to 2013.
By analyzing global temperature records, Yin and his colleagues found that by the end of 2016, the global surface temperature had climbed an additional 0.43 degrees F (0.24 C).
Co-author Jonathan Overpeck said, "As a climate scientist, it was just remarkable to think that the atmosphere of the planet could warm that much that fast."
Read more at University of Arizona
Image: 2016 was the third year in succession to set a new record for global average surface temperatures. (CREDIT: NASA)
