Introduction

Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2021 tied with 2018 as the sixth warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, global temperatures in 2021 were 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.85 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA’s baseline period, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. NASA uses the period from 1951-1980 as a baseline to see how global temperature changes over time.

Collectively, the past eight years are the warmest years since modern recordkeeping began in 1880. This annual temperature data makes up the global temperature record – which tells scientists the planet is warming.

This video is shown in degrees Celsius. You can access the version in degrees Fahrenheit lower on this page.

Credit

NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio. Data provided by Robert B. Schmunk (NASA/GSFC GISS).