We've known for awhile that 2023 was by far the warmest year on record, triggering widespread alarm among climate scientists. Now, a newly released climate report reveals other disturbing trends.
No aspect of Earth's climatic life support system was spared from humankind's impact last year, according to the State of the Climate 2023 report, led by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
Driving it all was an accelerating build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, triggering record-setting temperatures on land and at sea. Other shifts included dissipating cloudiness, paltry precipitation (but also devastating deluges), expanding drought, record-setting wildfires, shriveling glaciers and ice sheets, and rising sea level.
"This report documents and shares a startling, but well established picture: We are experiencing a warming world as I speak, and the indicators and impacts are seen throughout the planet," said ...
