Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2021 tied with 2018 as the sixth warmest on record, according to independent analyses done by NASA and NOAA. Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, global temperatures in 2021 were 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (or 0.85 degrees Celsius) above the... Read More

We answers six questions to help you understand the GISS global surface temperature analysis, what it shows about 2021 and how NASA makes sense of the data.

Climate researchers from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will release their annual assessments of global temperatures and discuss the major climate trends of 2021 during a media teleconference at 11 a.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 13.

A sensor installed on the International Space Station is yielding fresh insights on the global distribution of lightning.

Even while skies are clearing over China, one type of particulate pollution continues to cause problems.

The waters circling Antarctica absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than they release, serving as a strong carbon sink and an important buffer for greenhouse gas emissions.

Astronauts traveling within Earth’s largest artificial satellite can capture unique shots of the planet’s only natural satellite.

Where cattle once roamed, a national park has taken root in Argentina.

This Arizona national park was founded to protect the saguaro cactus, a keystone species of the Sonoran Desert and an iconic symbol of the Southwest, where the climate is becoming warmer and drier.

The Libyan Desert is often cited as a Mars analogue.

Three extreme rainy seasons in a row have pushed rivers and wetlands to heights not seen in decades.

NASA will launch four Earth science missions in 2022 to provide scientists with more information about fundamental climate systems.

NASA has the world’s largest Earth observing fleet and has an uninterrupted record and observed evidence of climate change. Increased greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. Trapped atmospheric greenhouse gases warm the planet – our land, ocean, and atmosphere. Most of the global... Read More

This coupling of the atmosphere and ocean alters atmospheric circulation and jet streams in ways that intensify rainfall in some regions and bring drought to others.