NASA Names 2011 Ninth Warmest Year on Record; Anticipates Warmer Years To Come
The year 2011 joined the statistical ranks of one of the warmest years ever recorded, NASA announced today.
Ten of the warmest years in recorded history (about 130 years) have occurred since 2000 and 2011 comes in 9th place. Last year’s average global temperature may not be Guiness-worthy. However a quarter of a degree warmer and it would have been.
“We know the planet is absorbing more energy than it is emitting,” said GISS Director James E. Hansen. “So we are continuing to see a trend toward higher temperatures. Even with the cooling effects of a strong La Niña influence and low solar activity for the past several years, 2011 was one of the 10 warmest years on record.”
Hansen expects that the next few years, new records may be set as El Niño returns to the Pacific and solar activity increases.
Read more about NASA’s analysis of 2011 global temperatures.
