By Daniel Brouse
For The Human Induced Climate Change Experiment
2016 was Earth’s warmest year in at least the last 125,000 years. It marks the third record year in a row.
NOAA reported, “The globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for 2016 was the highest among all years since record keeping began in 1880. During the final month, the December combined global land and ocean average surface temperature was the third highest for December in the 137-year record . During 2016, the globally-averaged land surface temperature was 2.57°F (1.43°C) above the 20th century average. This was the highest among all years in the 1880–2016 record, surpassing the previous record of 2015 by 0.18°F (0.10°C).”
Experts believe that a 1.5°C to 2°C increase is a tipping point that could make global warming irreversible. The 1.43°C increase is of grave concern.
Arctic ice also reached a record low. “Recent trends in the decline of Arctic polar sea ice extent continued in 2016.” The estimated average annual sea ice extent in the Arctic was approximately 3.92 million square miles. The smallest annual average on record.