By the Numbers: Climate Change

In light of President Trump’s decision to back out of the Paris climate accord, we take a look at some climate change numbers.

.0302

The amount of ocean warming in the top 2,300 feet of ocean waters since 1969.

2

The number of degrees the average surface temperature of the Earth has risen since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions.

8

The number of inches global sea level has risen in the last century.

13.3

The approximate annual percentage of Arctic sea ice loss per decade since 1979.

30

The percentage increase of ocean acidity since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2 billion tons per year.

36

The number of cubic miles of ice Antarctica lost between 2002 and 2005.

97

The percentage of climate scientists who agree that climate-warming trends in the past century are very likely due to human activities.

2016

The warmest year on record. Eight of the 12 months (January through September, with the exception of June) were the warmest on record for those respective months.

3,300

The average annual extent in square miles of decreased snow coverage in North America between 1972 and 2015.

400 billion

The approximate total glacier loss in tons since 1994.

Source:  climate.nasa.gov