January 16, 2015. Since reliable measurements have been available, globally there never was a year hotter than 2014. An analysis released cooperatively by NASA and NOAA reported a 1.24 degrees Fahrenheit (0.69 degrees Celsius) increase in temperature compared to the 1901-2000 average. The magnitude of the difference was greater on the surface of the oceans than on the land surface.
The previous record (2005 and 2010 were tied) was surpassed unequivocally by 0.07 degrees Fahrenheit.
These records are a recent phenomenon: the ten warmest years since 1880 were observed in the last 17 years.
Changes in solar activity and increased volcanic activity can have large impacts on global climate change. These contributing factors have been tracked for a long time as well, and for the last half-century they have been having a cooling effect on the climate. Global warming is tied much more closely to a general increase in greenhouse gases, particularly since the 1970s. Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide concentrations have all increased significantly, raising global temperatures.
The increase in temperature observed in 2014 was spatially uneven; Europe and portions of Alaska experienced a record warmest year, while the eastern United States felt a colder than average year.
Sea ice extent was 6th lowest for the Arctic Ocean, but 2014 was also the year when the most sea ice has been observed bordering the Antarctic continent. A good explanation for these seemingly contradictory observations can be found here.
Source
NOAA/NASA. 2015. Annual Global Analysis for 2014.
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