Last month, the American Meteorological Society and NOAA released the peer-reviewed 2013 State of the Climate Report. The 24th annual report, amassed by 425 scientists from 57 countries, updates global climate indicators such as greenhouse gases; atmospheric, oceanic and land temperatures; sea level; and snow cover to illustrate trends and changes in the global climate system. The report also provides information about trends over major climate zones and regions and extreme events, such as Typhoon Haiyan and spring flooding in Europe.
According to briefing slides, several of these indicators were at or near record levels in 2013, specifically: greenhouse gas levels, ocean heat content, sea level, glacier ice loss, permafrost temperatures, late spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere and Antarctic sea ice extent.
“These findings reinforce what scientists for decades have observed: that our planet is becoming a warmer place,” said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D. “This report provides the foundational information we need to develop tools and services for communities, business, and nations to prepare for, and build resilience to, the impacts of climate change.”
Explanations of the relevance of these trends and visualizations of more than a dozen report highlights are also available online.