WASHINGTON — Scientists from around the world are providing even more evidence of global warming.
“A comprehensive review of key climate indicators confirms the world is warming and the past decade was the warmest on record,” the annual State of the Climate report declares.
Compiled by more than 300 scientists from 48 countries, the report said its analysis of 10 indicators that are “clearly and directly related to surface temperatures, all tell the same story: Global warming is undeniable.”
Concern about rising temperatures has been growing in recent years as atmospheric scientists report rising temperatures associated with greenhouse gases released into the air by industrial and other human processes. At the same time, some skeptics have questioned the conclusions.
The new report, the 20th in a series, focuses only on global warming and does not specify a cause.
“The evidence in this report would say unequivocally yes, there is no doubt,” that the Earth is warming, said Tom Karl, the transitional director of the planned NOAA Climate Service.
Deke Arndt, chief of the Climate Monitoring Branch at the National Climatic Data Center, noted that the 1980s was the warmest decade up to that point, but each year in the 1990s was warmer than the ’80s average.
That makes the ’90s the warmest decade, he said.
But each year in the 2000s has been warmer than the ’90s average, so the first 10 years of the 2000s is now the warmest decade on record.