In 2014, the most essential indicators of Earth’s changing climate continued to reflect trends of a warming planet, with several markers such as rising land and ocean temperature, sea levels and greenhouse gases ─ setting new records. These key findings and others can be found in the State of the Climate in 2014 report released online today by the American Meteorological Society (AMS).
The report, compiled by NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate at the National Centers for Environmental Information is based on contributions from 413 scientists from 58 countries around the world (highlight, full report). It provides a detailed update on global climate indicators, notable weather events, and other data collected by environmental monitoring stations and instruments located on land, water, ice, and in space.
“This report represents data from around the globe, from hundreds of scientists and gives us a picture of what happened in 2014. The variety of indicators shows us how our climate is changing, not just in temperature but from the depths of the oceans to the outer atmosphere,” said Thomas R. Karl, L.H.D, Director, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
The report’s climate indicators show patterns, changes and trends of the global climate system. Examples of the indicators include various types of greenhouse gases; temperatures throughout the atmosphere, ocean, and land; cloud cover; sea level; ocean salinity; sea ice extent; and snow cover. The indicators often reflect many thousands of measurements from multiple independent datasets.
“This is the 25th report in this important annual series, as well as the 20th report that has been produced for publication in BAMS,” said Keith Seitter, AMS Executive Director. “Over the years we have seen clearly the value of careful and consistent monitoring of our climate which allows us to document real changes occurring in the Earth’s climate system.”
Key highlights from the report include:
- Greenhouse gases continued to climb: Major greenhouse gas concentrations, including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, continued to rise during 2014, once again reaching historic high values. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations increased by 1.9 ppm in 2014, reaching a global average of 397.2 ppm for the year. This compares with a global average of 354.0 in 1990 when this report was first published just 25 years ago.
- Record temperatures observed near the Earth’s surface: Four independent global datasets showed that 2014 was the warmest year on record. The warmth was widespread across land areas. Europe experienced its warmest year on record, with more than 20 countries exceeding their previous records. Africa had above-average temperatures across most of the continent throughout 2014, Australia saw its third warmest year on record, Mexico had its warmest year on record, and Argentina and Uruguay each had their second warmest year on record. Eastern North America was the only major region to experience below-average annual temperatures.
- Tropical Pacific Ocean moves towards El Niño–Southern Oscillation conditions: The El Niño–Southern Oscillation was in a neutral state during 2014, although it was on the cool side of neutral at the beginning of the year and approached warm El Niño conditions by the end of the year. This pattern played a major role in several regional climate outcomes.
- Sea surface temperatures were record high: The globally averaged sea surface temperature was the highest on record. The warmth was particularly notable in the North Pacific Ocean, where temperatures are in part likely driven by a transition of the Pacific decadal oscillation – a recurring pattern of ocean-atmosphere climate variability centered in the region.
- Global upper ocean heat content was record high: Globally, upper ocean heat content reached a record high for the year, reflecting the continuing accumulation of thermal energy in the upper layer of the oceans. Oceans absorb over 90 percent of Earth’s excess heat from greenhouse gas forcing.
- Global sea level was record high: Global average sea level rose to a record high in 2014. This keeps pace with the 3.2 ± 0.4 mm per year trend in sea level growth observed over the past two decades.
- The Arctic continued to warm; sea ice extent remained low: The Arctic experienced its fourth warmest year since records began in the early 20th century. Arctic snow melt occurred 20–30 days earlier than the 1998–2010 average. On the North Slope of Alaska, record high temperatures at 20-meter depth were measured at four of five permafrost observatories. The Arctic minimum sea ice extent reached 1.94 million square miles on September 17, the sixth lowest since satellite observations began in 1979. The eight lowest minimum sea ice extents during this period have occurred in the last eight years.
- The Antarctic showed highly variable temperature patterns; sea ice extent reached record high:Temperature patterns across the Antarctic showed strong seasonal and regional patterns of warmer-than-normal and cooler-than-normal conditions, resulting in near-average conditions for the year for the continent as a whole. The Antarctic maximum sea ice extent reached a record high of 7.78 million square miles on September 20. This is 220,000 square miles more than the previous record of 7.56 million square miles that occurred in 2013. This was the third consecutive year of record maximum sea ice extent.
- Tropical cyclones above average overall: There were 91 tropical cyclones in 2014, well above the 1981–2010 average of 82 storms. The 22 named storms in the Eastern/Central Pacific were the most to occur in the basin since 1992. Similar to 2013, the North Atlantic season was quieter than most years of the last two decades with respect to the number of storms.
The State of the Climate in 2014 is the 25th edition in a peer-reviewed series published annually as a special supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. The journal makes the full report openly available online.
Katika mwaka 2014, viashiria muhimu zaidi vya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa ya Dunia ziliendelea kutafakari mwenendo wa joto la sayari, na alama kadhaa kama vile kuongezeka kwa joto la ardhi na bahari, viwango vya bahari na gesi za chafu - kuweka rekodi mpya. "Hizi ni baadhi ya matokeo ya utafiti wa hali ya hewa katika 2014 na ""State of the Climate in 2014"" ripoti ya American Meteorological Society (AMS)." Ripoti hiyo, iliyoandaliwa na Kituo cha Hali ya Hewa na Hali ya Hewa cha NOAA, inategemea michango ya wanasayansi 413 kutoka nchi 58 duniani kote. Inatoa taarifa za kina kuhusu hali ya hewa duniani, matukio muhimu ya hali ya hewa, na data nyingine zilizokusanywa na vituo vya ufuatiliaji wa mazingira na vyombo vilivyoko ardhini, maji, barafu, na angani. "Tarifa hii inawakilisha data kutoka duniani kote, kutoka kwa mamia ya wanasayansi na inatupa picha ya kile kilichotokea mnamo 2014.""" "Mfano huu wa hali ya hewa unaonyesha jinsi hali ya hewa inabadilika, sio tu katika joto, lakini kutoka kwa kina cha bahari hadi angahewa la nje, ""alisema Thomas R. Karl, LHD, Mkurugenzi wa Kituo cha Kitaifa cha Habari za Mazingira cha NOAA." Vipimo vya hali ya hewa vya ripoti hiyo vinaonyesha mifumo, mabadiliko na mwenendo wa mfumo wa hali ya hewa ya ulimwengu. Mifano ya viashiria ni pamoja na aina mbalimbali za gesi za chafu; joto katika anga, bahari, na ardhi; kifuniko cha mawingu; kiwango cha bahari; chumvi ya bahari; kiwango cha barafu ya bahari; na kifuniko cha theluji. Mara nyingi viashiria huonyesha maelfu mengi ya vipimo kutoka kwa seti nyingi za data zisizo na uhusiano. "Hii ni ripoti ya 25 katika mfululizo huu muhimu wa kila mwaka, na pia ripoti ya 20 ambayo imetengenezwa kwa ajili ya kuchapishwa katika BAMS, "alisema Keith Seitter, Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa AMS." "Katika miaka iliyopita tumeona wazi thamani ya ufuatiliaji wa makini na thabiti wa hali ya hewa yetu ambayo inaruhusu sisi kurekodi mabadiliko halisi yanayotokea katika mfumo wa hali ya hewa ya Dunia. ""Vipengele muhimu kutoka ripoti ni pamoja na: ""Gesi za chafu ziliendelea kupanda: Mkusanyiko mkubwa wa gesi za chafu, ikiwa ni pamoja na kaboni dioksidi, methani na nitrous oksidi, iliendelea kuongezeka wakati wa 2014,"" alisema." Kiwango cha CO2 katika angahewa kiliongezeka kwa 1.9 ppm mwaka 2014, na kufikia wastani wa 397.2 ppm kwa mwaka. Hii ni tofauti na wastani wa kimataifa wa 354.0 katika mwaka wa 1990, wakati ripoti hii ilichapishwa kwa mara ya kwanza miaka 25 iliyopita. - Rekodi ya joto iliyoonekana karibu na uso wa Dunia: Mkusanyiko wa data nne huru za kimataifa zilionyesha kwamba 2014 ilikuwa mwaka wa joto zaidi kuwahi kurekodiwa. Joto hilo lilienea sana katika maeneo ya nchi kavu. Ulaya imekutana na mwaka wa joto zaidi kuwahi kurekodiwa, na nchi zaidi ya 20 zilikadiria viwango vyao vya awali. Afrika ilikuwa na joto la juu ya wastani katika sehemu kubwa ya bara hilo mwaka 2014, Australia iliona mwaka wake wa tatu wa joto zaidi katika rekodi, Mexico ilikuwa na mwaka wake wa joto zaidi katika rekodi, na Argentina na Uruguay kila mmoja alikuwa na mwaka wao wa pili wa joto zaidi katika rekodi. Mashariki mwa Amerika Kaskazini ndiyo eneo pekee kubwa lililokuwa na joto la chini ya wastani wa kila mwaka. El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ESO) ilikuwa katika hali ya neutral wakati wa 2014, ingawa ilikuwa kwenye upande wa baridi wa neutral mwanzoni mwa mwaka na ilikaribia hali ya joto ya El Niño mwishoni mwa mwaka. Mfano huu ulicheza jukumu kubwa katika matokeo kadhaa ya hali ya hewa ya kikanda. - Joto la uso wa bahari lilikuwa la juu zaidi: Kiwango cha juu zaidi cha joto la uso wa bahari ulimwenguni kilikuwa cha juu zaidi kuwahi kurekodiwa. "Uwezo wa joto ulikuwa wa kushangaza hasa katika Bahari ya Pasifiki ya Kaskazini, ambapo joto linawezekana kuendeshwa na mpito wa ""Pacific Decadal Oscillation"" - muundo wa mara kwa mara wa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa ya bahari-anga, iliyozingatia mkoa huo." - Urefu wa joto la bahari ya juu ya dunia ulifikia rekodi ya juu: Kwa ujumla, joto la bahari ya juu lilifikia rekodi ya juu kwa mwaka, ikionyesha mkusanyiko wa kuendelea wa nishati ya joto katika safu ya juu ya bahari. Bahari huchukua zaidi ya asilimia 90 ya joto la ziada la dunia kutokana na gesi za chafu. Kiwango cha bahari duniani kilikuwa cha juu zaidi tangu mwaka 2014 ambapo kiwango cha bahari kilikuwa cha juu zaidi. Hii inashikilia mwendo wa 3.2 mm kwa mwaka katika kuongezeka kwa kiwango cha bahari kilichogunduliwa katika miongo miwili iliyopita. Arctic iliendelea joto; bahari barafu kiasi alibaki chini: Arctic uzoefu wake wa nne joto mwaka tangu rekodi ilianza katika karne ya 20. Mvua ya barafu ya Arctic iliyeyuka siku 20 hadi 30 mapema kuliko wastani wa mwaka 1998 hadi 2010. Katika eneo la Alaska, joto la juu zaidi lilipimwa katika vituo vinne kati ya vitano vya uchunguzi wa barafu ya kudumu. Kiasi cha chini cha barafu ya bahari ya Aktiki kilifikia kilomita za mraba milioni 1.94 tarehe 17 Septemba, kiwango cha sita cha chini zaidi tangu uchunguzi wa satelaiti uanze mnamo 1979. Kiwango cha chini cha barafu ya bahari katika kipindi hiki kimetokea katika miaka minane iliyopita. Antarctica ilionyesha mifumo ya joto tofauti sana; kiwango cha barafu ya bahari ilifikia rekodi ya juu: Mifumo ya joto katika Antarctica ilionyesha mifumo ya msimu na kikanda ya hali ya joto kuliko kawaida na baridi kuliko kawaida, ikisababisha hali ya karibu ya wastani kwa mwaka kwa bara nzima. Kwa mfano, barafu ya bahari ya Antaktika ilifikia kiwango cha juu cha kilomita milioni 7.7 mnamo Septemba 20. Hii ni zaidi ya kilomita 220,000 za mraba kuliko rekodi ya awali ya kilomita 7.56 milioni za mraba iliyotokea mnamo 2013. Hii ilikuwa mwaka wa tatu mfululizo wa rekodi ya kiwango cha juu cha barafu ya bahari. Kwa mujibu wa takwimu za Umoja wa Mataifa, mwaka 2014 kulikuwa na vimbunga 91 vya kitropiki, vimeongezeka kwa kiasi kikubwa ikilinganishwa na mwaka 1981 na mwaka 2010 ambapo vimbunga 82 vilitokea. Kwa mujibu wa ripoti hiyo, vimbunga 22 vilivyoitwa kwa majina katika eneo la Pasifiki ya Mashariki na Kati ni vimbunga vingi zaidi kutokea katika eneo hilo tangu mwaka 1992. Kama ilivyo kwa mwaka 2013, msimu wa Atlantiki Kaskazini ulikuwa utulivu kuliko miaka mingi ya miongo miwili iliyopita kwa heshima ya idadi ya dhoruba. Hali ya Hali ya Hewa ya 2014 ni toleo la 25 katika mfululizo wa maoni ya wenzao, unaochapishwa kila mwaka kama nyongeza maalum kwa Bulletin ya Jamii ya Hali ya Hewa ya Amerika. Jarida hilo hufanya ripoti nzima ipatikane waziwazi mtandaoni.