Back by Popular Demand: Watch 131 Years of Global Warming in 26 Seconds

Published: February 15th, 2012, Last Updated: February 14th, 2012 in Basics, Causes, Greenhouse Gases, Trends, Climate, Extremes, Heat, Global

Don't Have Flash? Watch this video on your iPad or iPhone here

Watch 131 Years of Global Warming in 26 Seconds

Since we launched this video in late January, more than 100,000 people have watched it as it has bounced around the digital globe. The video, which comes to us from our friends at NASA, is an amazing 26-second animation depicting how temperatures around the globe have warmed since 1880. That year is what scientists call the beginning of the “modern record.” You’ll note an acceleration of those temperatures in the late 1970s as greenhouse gas emissions from energy production increased worldwide and clean air laws reduced emissions of pollutants that had a cooling effect on the climate, and thus were masking some of the global warming signal. The data comes from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, which monitors global surface temperatures. As NASA notes, “in this animation, reds indicate temperatures higher than the average during a baseline period of 1951-1980, while blues indicate lower temperatures than the baseline average.”

Comments

By Dan Cass (Melbourne, Australia)
on January 31st, 2012

Very good visual communication.

It might even get through to some of the anti-climate science extremists!

By Lyn Ford (Brisbane, Australia)
on January 31st, 2012

Been reading a few books in the last few years, which incorporate millions of years of global change - but not only weather. While there is no doubt that it’s happened before, although often due to catastrophic extinction type events, this is certainly very quick by previous standards. Possibly the best thing in humankind favour is that we are very adaptable, and also have the ability to adapt, to a certain extent, the natural events which have happened like this. Having said that, certainly looks like we, as homo sapiens, need to get our fingers out.

By Brian Cabaniss (Roanoke, VA 24018)
on February 2nd, 2012

That’s purty, but it’s just a scam by them peoples up thar in lab coats that want me to buy them curly light bulbs and make me git one of dem pick-up trucks that you gotta plug in. I betcha they’re the same ones tryin’ to tell me the Earth is older than 6000 years old. I aint fallin’ for it.

By dan in illinois
on February 3rd, 2012

Okay, here’s a question. If the warmest years on record were in the 1930s, which I’ve seen widely reported, then why does this map show that period as relatively cool? Here’s another question: Was the data that was used to create these temperature maps adjusted to account for the considerable rise in temperatures that has occurred at the temperature recording sites due to the pavement and other urban structures at those sites?

By Andrew
on February 3rd, 2012

Dan in Illinois:

Good question. The 1930s were very warm in the US but were not the warmest years on record globally. As for data adjustments, this data comes from NASA GISS surface temperature record, which does include adjustments due to urban heat island. Note, however, that many studies have shown that the urban heat island is not responsible for the warming trend seen in global surface temperature data, and instead the station siting issues have been very small compared to other influences on temperatures, including emissions of greenhouse gases.

Some links to studies:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wcc.21/abstract;jsessionid=F13B5DAB299D34D9340678316455A9C1.d02t01

http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/1520-0442(2003)016<2941:AOUVRI>2.0.CO;2

http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/EI161.1

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wcc.21/full

By Jamie Grover (Santa Cruz)
on February 3rd, 2012

Wow, it would seem there are some real fools out there trying to put there own spin on this. What would it take guys? Do you need to accompany the scientists when they retrieve the dusty records from the archives?

I expect they are the same people who can’t accept reality in any any number respects.

Gore certainly had it right when he called this truth inconvenient.

By Kerry Dean (Monroe City)
on February 5th, 2012

You have got to be kidding, the guy above thinks the world is 6000 years old. Stupid get an education other than sunday school. And say hi to your talking snake. lol

By Tricia Schwartz (Andover, MA 01810)
on February 7th, 2012

I think that he was being facetious.

By Mike Johnson (Ipswich, MA 01938)
on February 7th, 2012

Indeed. It was sarcasm. Lighten up.

By Chip Atkison (Denver, Co 80236)
on February 11th, 2012

Brian from VA. had it right, as in Republican / Tea Party / Right wing fascism / Neo Nazis / God will save us all, views that are constantly jammed down the Fixed News and “Conservative” party “news” outlets that feed the fear that Boener, Limbaugh, Kantor, Beck, Gingrich, Santorum, Romney, Paul spoon feed their dominions.

Nice farcical view Brian

By Nathan (Leipzig / Sachsen / 04105)
on February 14th, 2012

Question: Admitting that a general warming trend can be observed with our planet, to what extent do anthropogenic activities represent the cause? How direct is the influence the human race has on this phenomenon?

Of course the combustion of fossil carbonates such as coal and oil is changing the makeup of our atmosphere. But developments in our sun could also be partially responsible. Maybe we could assign the respective share of responsibility as 50 / 50? 75 / 25?

The relatively new information we have from satellite imaging is great, but now we also have the additional task of finding proper interpretations to develop a realistic view.

By Little Loowey
on February 15th, 2012

Why is there no sound?!

Name (required):

Email (required):

City/State/Zip:

Enter the word you see in the image below: