NOAA Releases 34th Annual State of the Climate Report with Multiple Records Set in 2023

TapTechNews August 23rd news, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States released the 34th annual State of the Climate Report yesterday (August 22nd), confirming that greenhouse gas concentrations, global land and ocean temperatures, global sea level and ocean heat content all set new records in 2023.

Report Introduction

This report is led by scientists from the National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), based on the contribution and participation of nearly 600 scientists from 60 countries, providing information on Earth's climate indicators, significant weather events, and other data collected by environmental monitoring stations and instruments on land, water, ice and space, comprehensively presenting the latest state of the Earth.

Global Temperatures Set New Records Repeatedly

A series of scientific analyses show that the global annual surface temperature is 0.99 to 1.08 degrees Fahrenheit (0.55 to 0.60 degrees Celsius) higher than the average of 1991-2020.

This makes 2023 the warmest year since the mid-to-late 1800s with records, surpassing the previous record in 2016.

Earth's Greenhouse Gas Concentrations Set New Records

Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - the main greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere - reached record-high concentrations again in 2023.

The year-on-year growth rate of global average carbon dioxide increased from 0.6 ± 0.1 parts per million per year in the early 1960s to an average of 2.5 parts per million per year in the past decade of 2014-2023.

Sea Surface Temperature Sets New Record

The global annual average sea surface temperature in 2023 set a new record, 0.23 degrees Fahrenheit (0.13 degrees Celsius) higher than the highest record in 2016, and from June to December, the temperature of each month set a new record.

On August 22, 2023, the global daily average sea surface temperature reached 66.18 degrees Fahrenheit (18.99 degrees Celsius), a new record. In 2023, about 94% of the ocean surface experienced at least one marine heat wave, which is defined as the sea surface temperature being in the hottest 10% of all recorded data at a particular location on that day for at least five consecutive days.

Ocean Heat and Global Sea Level Both Set New Records.

Over the past half-century, the ocean has stored more than 90% of the excess energy trapped in the Earth system due to greenhouse gases and other factors.

The global ocean heat content measured from the ocean surface to a depth of 2000 meters (more than 6500 feet) continued to rise and reached a new historical high in 2023.

The global average sea level set a new high for the 12th consecutive year, about 4.0 inches (101.4 millimeters) higher than the average in 1993 (when satellite altimetry began).

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