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Warmest decade on record

According to NASA data, 2009 turned out to be the second warmest year on record.  Year-to-year variability is inevitable, so averaging the temperatures over a longer period of time is important.  Their data also shows that January 2000 to December 2009 was the warmest decade on record.  In fact, the last three decades have shown an increase in surface temperatures of 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade.

This map shows the ten year average (2000-2009) temperature anomaly relative to the 1951-1980 mean.  Colours on the map represent the number of degrees Celsius difference between the 2000-2009 average above or below the mean temperature for 1951-1980. 

Temperature anomaly 2000-2009

Notice that some small areas around sea expenses of the Antarctica were cooler than average for 2000-2009, while most other areas were warmer, especially around the Arctic and the Antarctic Peninsula.

For more information visit the NASA website