Last year saw record levels of major greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, released into the Earth's atmosphere, according to an international climate report.
2021 saw record-high greenhouse gases, sea levels and ocean heat, new report shows Duration 1:10 View on Watch
The annual State of the Climate report, published Wednesday in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and led by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information, also found that global sea level and ocean heat reached record highs in 2021.
"The data presented in this report are clear -- we continue to see more compelling scientific evidence that climate change has global impacts and shows no sign of slowing," NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad said in a statement. "With many communities hit with 1,000-year floods, exceptional drought and historic heat this year, it shows that the climate crisis is not a future threat but something we must address today as we work to build a Climate-Ready Nation -- and world -- that is resilient to climate-driven extremes."MORE: Eco-anxiety among teenagers is growing
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the "most significant driver of observed climate change since the mid-20th century," according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, warming the climate as they build up in the atmosphere.
In 2021, the global annual average atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was 414.7 parts per million (ppm) -- 2.3 ppm greater than the amounts measured in 2020, according to the latest State of the Climate report. That marks the highest amount measured since 1958 -- the start of the instrumental record -- and in at least the last million years, based on paleoclimatic records, the report found. It was also the fifth-highest growth rate in the modern record.
The lignite-fired power plant of Jaenschwalde is pictured behind sun flowers, July 28, 2022, in Doebbrick, Germany. The Jaenschwalde power plant is going to be powered off in 2028 as part of the german coal phase-out.© Florian Gaertner/Photothek via Getty Images
Two other major greenhouse gases -- methane and nitrous oxide -- also saw record concentrations last year, according to the report. The annual increase in methane was the highest in the modern record, and the growth rate of nitrous oxide the third-highest, it found.
Last year was the fifth- or sixth-warmest on record, depending on the dataset referenced, with the last seven years (2015-2021) the seven warmest years on record, according to the report.MORE: Millions of people in Midwest to experience 'extreme heat belt' by 2053: Report
Global ocean heat content, measured from the ocean's surface to a depth of more than 6,000 feet, saw record levels in 2021, "indicative of steadily increasing heat in Earth's system," according to the report. Meanwhile, the global sea surface temperature cooled compared to 2019 and 2020, due to the ongoing La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific, though it was higher than the 1991-2020 average, the report found.
For the 10th year in a row, the global average sea level rose about 4.9 mm to a new record high, according to the report. The level was about 97 mm higher than the average recorded in 1993, when satellite measurements began, the report stated.
A view of Hulhulmale Island, which is connected to the capital Male to prevent the sea level increase, in Male, Maldives, which is one of the countries most threatened by the sea level increase due to global warming, June 28, 2022.© Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Both global ocean heat content and global average sea level saw "year-on-year increases substantially exceeding their trend rates of recent decades," the report stated.
Among other highlights, the report found that tropical cyclone activity was "well above average" in 2021, with 97 named tropical storms during the Northern and Southern Hemisphere storm seasons compared to the 1991-2020 average of 87. Last year's storm season saw Hurricane Ida, a category 4 cyclone that was the costliest U.S. disaster last year and the fifth most expensive hurricane on record since 1980, with $75 billion in damage, the report noted.MORE: Extreme Weather Photos 2022
The climate report, now in its 32nd issuance, is based on contributions from more than 530 scientists in over 60 countries.
"The 2021 AMS State of the Climate provides the latest synthesis of scientific understanding of the climate system and the impact people are having on it," American Meteorological Society associate executive director Paul Higgins said in a statement. "If we take it seriously and use it wisely, it can help us thrive on a planet that is increasingly small in comparison to the impact of our activities."
2021's climate extremes show global warming has 'no sign of slowing'
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY - TODAY
A new federal summary of the globe's climate last year takes bits and pieces of grim news from the past 18 months and rolls it into a sobering report on the world's warming climate.
Long-term warming trends continue worldwide, even when interrupted by temporary cooler weather phenomena, such as the lingering La Nina in the Pacific, concluded the 2021 "State of the Climate" report released Wednesday.
"The data presented in this report are clear – we continue to see more compelling scientific evidence that climate change has global impacts and shows no sign of slowing,” said Rick Spinrad, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report is prepared by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, with contributions from scientists around the world.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
Given the floods, drought and historic heat that have continued this year, Spinrad said the "climate crisis is not a future threat but something we must address today."
He and Paul Higgins, associate director of the American Meteorological Society, said the world should use the report to become more resilient against climate extremes.
A cyclist bikes past the setting sun at Papago Park during a heatwave where temperatures hit 115-degrees Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Phoenix.© Ross D. Franklin, AP
"If we take it seriously and use it wisely, it can help us thrive on a planet that is increasingly small in comparison to the impact of our activities," Higgins said.
The news, however, wasn't all bad. The La Nina lowered sea surface temperatures in the Pacific and helped suppress other global temperatures. Also, the South Pole saw its coldest winter on record, despite warmer temperatures elsewhere on Antarctica.
Here are some of the report's biggest takeaways:
Global average temperatures and sea levels keep rising
The Earth's warming trend continued, and for the 10th consecutive year global mean sea level set a new record high.
Scientific analyses showed global surface temperatures were about .5 degrees above the 1991-2020 average.
The last seven years have been the warmest since recordkeeping began in the mid- to late-1800s, according to the meteorological society.
Sea levels were 3.8 inches above the 1993 average, a two-tenths of an inch increase over 2020. Federal scientists say every inch of sea level rise increases the risk of high tide flooding days in cities along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Is the globe prepared? Extreme heat waves may be our new normal, thanks to climate change.
Some nations saw dramatic impacts
Temperature extremes set many new record highs, but also a few record lows.
China and New Zealand saw their warmest years on record.
In Kyoto, Japan, one of its native cherry tree species' full bloom dates were the earliest on record, dating back to 801.
Europe saw its second-hottest summer on record, setting a new high temperature of 119.8 degrees in Sicily on Aug. 11, 2021.
In Spain, set a new record low in January, when the temperature at Clot del Tuc de la Llança in the Pyrenees dropped to minus 29.4 degrees.
Learn more about earlier bloom dates: Festivals forced to adapt as climate change disrupts historic weather patterns
Polar regions suffered
Glaciers around the world continued melting for the 34th year in a row, while the temperature of permafrost in many areas reached record high levels.
in June 2021, Canada's Northwest Territories set an all-time high of 103.8 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded north of the 60th parallel.
A station on the Greenland Ice Sheet recorded the first rainfall since recordkeeping began 33 years ago. It used to be too cold at the top of the ice sheet for it to rain. Scientists say warming conditions there are melting more of the ice sheet, adding to higher sea levels.
Weather extremes reigned
Some areas experienced new levels of drought, while others saw record rainfall. Experts say both reflect the warming climate.
Nearly a third of the world's land areas saw drought conditions in August 2021, a new record high.
East Africa saw the lowest-ever rainfall along the equator, the third failed rainy season in a row, threatening food security for more than 20 million people.
In Zhengzhou, China, 7.9 inches of rain fell in a single hour on July 20, the highest one-hour rainfall ever reported for the mainland. Scientists say warmer air holds more water and contributes to extreme rainfall.
In October in Rossiglione, Italy, 29.2 inches of rain fell in just 12 hours, a new European record.
USA TODAY investigates: How a summer of extreme weather reveals a stunning shift in the way rain falls in America.
Greenhouse gas emissions kept climbing
The big two greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide and methane – rose to new record highs. Climate scientists say reducing emissions is critical to prevent further warming.
Carbon dioxide reached an average annual concentration of 414.7 parts per million, up 2.6 parts per million over 2020. That's the fifth-highest growth rate since monitoring began in 1958.
Methane continued its upward trend upward with an increase of 18 parts per billion, the biggest increase since measurements began.
Nitrous oxide also hit 334.3 parts per billion, the third highest level since 2001.
Listen to rainfall trends: What if you could hear climate change? Listen to music based on a century of rainfall data
Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate and environment issues for USA TODAY. She can be reached at dpulver@gannett.com or at @dinahvp on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2021's climate extremes show global warming has 'no sign of slowing'
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY - TODAY
A new federal summary of the globe's climate last year takes bits and pieces of grim news from the past 18 months and rolls it into a sobering report on the world's warming climate.
Long-term warming trends continue worldwide, even when interrupted by temporary cooler weather phenomena, such as the lingering La Nina in the Pacific, concluded the 2021 "State of the Climate" report released Wednesday.
"The data presented in this report are clear – we continue to see more compelling scientific evidence that climate change has global impacts and shows no sign of slowing,” said Rick Spinrad, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report is prepared by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, with contributions from scientists around the world.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
Given the floods, drought and historic heat that have continued this year, Spinrad said the "climate crisis is not a future threat but something we must address today."
He and Paul Higgins, associate director of the American Meteorological Society, said the world should use the report to become more resilient against climate extremes.
A cyclist bikes past the setting sun at Papago Park during a heatwave where temperatures hit 115-degrees Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Phoenix.© Ross D. Franklin, AP
"If we take it seriously and use it wisely, it can help us thrive on a planet that is increasingly small in comparison to the impact of our activities," Higgins said.
The news, however, wasn't all bad. The La Nina lowered sea surface temperatures in the Pacific and helped suppress other global temperatures. Also, the South Pole saw its coldest winter on record, despite warmer temperatures elsewhere on Antarctica.
Here are some of the report's biggest takeaways:
Global average temperatures and sea levels keep rising
The Earth's warming trend continued, and for the 10th consecutive year global mean sea level set a new record high.
Scientific analyses showed global surface temperatures were about .5 degrees above the 1991-2020 average.
The last seven years have been the warmest since recordkeeping began in the mid- to late-1800s, according to the meteorological society.
Sea levels were 3.8 inches above the 1993 average, a two-tenths of an inch increase over 2020. Federal scientists say every inch of sea level rise increases the risk of high tide flooding days in cities along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Is the globe prepared? Extreme heat waves may be our new normal, thanks to climate change.
Some nations saw dramatic impacts
Temperature extremes set many new record highs, but also a few record lows.
China and New Zealand saw their warmest years on record.
In Kyoto, Japan, one of its native cherry tree species' full bloom dates were the earliest on record, dating back to 801.
Europe saw its second-hottest summer on record, setting a new high temperature of 119.8 degrees in Sicily on Aug. 11, 2021.
In Spain, set a new record low in January, when the temperature at Clot del Tuc de la Llança in the Pyrenees dropped to minus 29.4 degrees.
Learn more about earlier bloom dates: Festivals forced to adapt as climate change disrupts historic weather patterns
Polar regions suffered
Glaciers around the world continued melting for the 34th year in a row, while the temperature of permafrost in many areas reached record high levels.
in June 2021, Canada's Northwest Territories set an all-time high of 103.8 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded north of the 60th parallel.
A station on the Greenland Ice Sheet recorded the first rainfall since recordkeeping began 33 years ago. It used to be too cold at the top of the ice sheet for it to rain. Scientists say warming conditions there are melting more of the ice sheet, adding to higher sea levels.
Weather extremes reigned
Some areas experienced new levels of drought, while others saw record rainfall. Experts say both reflect the warming climate.
Nearly a third of the world's land areas saw drought conditions in August 2021, a new record high.
East Africa saw the lowest-ever rainfall along the equator, the third failed rainy season in a row, threatening food security for more than 20 million people.
In Zhengzhou, China, 7.9 inches of rain fell in a single hour on July 20, the highest one-hour rainfall ever reported for the mainland. Scientists say warmer air holds more water and contributes to extreme rainfall.
In October in Rossiglione, Italy, 29.2 inches of rain fell in just 12 hours, a new European record.
USA TODAY investigates: How a summer of extreme weather reveals a stunning shift in the way rain falls in America.
Greenhouse gas emissions kept climbing
The big two greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide and methane – rose to new record highs. Climate scientists say reducing emissions is critical to prevent further warming.
Carbon dioxide reached an average annual concentration of 414.7 parts per million, up 2.6 parts per million over 2020. That's the fifth-highest growth rate since monitoring began in 1958.
Methane continued its upward trend upward with an increase of 18 parts per billion, the biggest increase since measurements began.
Nitrous oxide also hit 334.3 parts per billion, the third highest level since 2001.
Listen to rainfall trends: What if you could hear climate change? Listen to music based on a century of rainfall data
Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate and environment issues for USA TODAY. She can be reached at dpulver@gannett.com or at @dinahvp on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2021's climate extremes show global warming has 'no sign of slowing'
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