Globally, 2020 was the hottest year on record, effectively tying 2016, the previous record. Overall, Earth’s average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees F since the 1880s. The effects of rising temperatures are felt around the world.
go.nasa.gov/3iakW5c
2020 was a year of extremes, with record-breaking hurricane and fire seasons. Higher surface temperatures and more heat in the climate system can fuel different extreme events, directly and indirectly, like increasing tropical storm intensity.
This year, we saw record-setting fires in Australia and the western U.S., after years of high temperature and drought set the stage. Smoke from fires in both regions reached so high into the atmosphere that it formed clouds.
go.nasa.gov/396zPBt
go.nasa.gov/33oxoqO Labeled satellite image of smoke from fires in CaliforniaLabeled satellite image of smoke from fires in Australia
In Siberia, unusually high temperatures drove fires burning peat soil -- decomposed organic materials -- that stores a lot of carbon. Peat fires release vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, potentially leading to even more warming.
go.nasa.gov/3mf8fre
The Arctic region is warming three times faster than the rest of the planet. Arctic sea ice reached a near-record low extent this year.
go.nasa.gov/33LwmFH
A warm Atlantic ocean helped fuel a record-breaking hurricane season, with 30 named storms. This year, a record 12 storms made landfall in the United States.
go.nasa.gov/3oxD6jq Map of tropical storms in the Atlantic in 2020 with intensitNorthern Hemisphere of Earth with tropical storms Karina, Sa
Heat & the energy it carries drive our planet: winds, weather, droughts, floods & more are expressions of heat. The right amount of heat even helps make life on Earth possible. But too much heat changes how our planet’s systems act.
go.nasa.gov/2XDI6rh
We work with our partners at @NOAA to study our planet and the ways it’s changing. We also study the causes and effects of climate change from space, with a unique view of increasing carbon in the atmosphere.

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More from @NASAEarth

10 Nov 20
We know that as human activity warms the planet, global sea level is rising. We know that about 2/3 of sea level rise so far has come from melting ice. But how do we know this? We can measure it from space.
#SeeingTheSeas Visualization of sea level rise mapped around the planet on
Sea level isn’t uniform around the planet. Tides and currents, the density and temperature of water, and landforms can affect where the ocean piles up. We know this because we measure the shape of the ocean using radar altimetry.
go.nasa.gov/3n0EpGB Graph of sea level rise measurements from the tide gauge rec
Altimetry works by bouncing radio waves off the ocean surface and timing how quickly they return. Then comes the next challenge: Calculating the natural and seasonal changes in ocean height to determine how much more global warming has made seas rise.
Read 8 tweets
9 Nov 20
The effects of sea level rise come in many forms. During tropical storms, higher sea levels drive intense storm surges — water level much higher than normal tides. But with sea level rise, the tides themselves can cause flooding.

#SeeingTheSeas
During high-tide floods, water can make its way from the ocean onto land and bubble up from storm drains. In cities like Miami & Annapolis, high-tide flooding can close down streets & businesses, and damage infrastructure like pipes & wastewater systems.
go.nasa.gov/3eISZj9
Between 2000-2015, days with high-tide flooding doubled along the U.S. Northeast Atlantic coast, & that will likely keep climbing. Some locations could see high-tide flooding 180 days a year by 2050. From May '19 to April '20, Annapolis had a record 18 days of high-tide flooding.
Read 4 tweets
8 Nov 20
Sea levels on the West Coast of the United States are rising at a faster rate than the global average – and that trend is likely to continue for at least a few years, with likely effects for people living in the region.
#SeeingTheSeas
go.nasa.gov/3n2Kxy7
The height of the sea surface in the western and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean seesaws over time – when one is higher, the other is lower. This is driven on shorter timescales by two natural climate patterns: the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
Every few years, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) pattern produces either an El Niño or a La Niña event. El Niños can increase West Coast sea level; while La Niñas can decrease it.
Read 6 tweets
13 Oct 20
#HurricaneDelta was the 25th named Atlantic storm of the 2020 hurricane season. After exhausting a list of prepared names, @WMO turns to the Greek alphabet to name storms.
Hurricanes typically get a massive boost of energy when they pass over warm waters. #HurricaneDelta rapidly intensified to a Category 4 storm. #HurricaneLaura also underwent rapid intensification in the Gulf of Mexico.
go.nasa.gov/2GTxb7V Natural color satellite image of Hurricane Delta making landImage of Hurricane Delta making landfall with ocean colored
As it made landfall, #HurricaneDelta was generating heavy rainfall. Combining data from @NASARain’s satellites with computer models helps track precipitation to help those living in the storm’s path.
go.nasa.gov/3dlIXnr
Read 4 tweets
21 Sep 20
Arctic sea ice reached its second-lowest minimum extent on record on Sept. 15, 2020. This year’s extent was larger only than 2012’s extent. @NASA and @NSIDC track sea ice through the year.
go.nasa.gov/33LwmFH
Sea ice plays an important role in keeping our planet cool. Light-colored ice reflects heat from the Sun back into the atmosphere, while darker ocean water absorbs it, so warming accelerates as sea ice extent declines.
Sea ice extent grows and shrinks with the seasons, with the colder northern winter temperatures freezing sea water and the warmer summer temperatures melting it. Over the last decades, sea ice extent has been trending smaller — a direct result of warmer global temperatures. ImageSea ice seen from a planeImageImage
Read 5 tweets
6 May 20
318 gigatons.
That’s how much ice is lost every year from Antarctica and Greenland’s ice sheets, according to new science from @NASA_Ice's #ICESat2. go.nasa.gov/3cb0bCC

But… how much ice is that, really? 🤔
Let's say 🧊= a gigaton of ice.

🧊 would be enough to cover NYC’s Central Park in ice past the top of the Chrysler Building. When melted, it would fill 400,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Each year from 2003 to 2019, Greenland lost 200 🧊s. Antarctica lost 118 🧊s.
From 2003-2019, Greenland lost: 🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊
Read 40 tweets

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