NASA says 2022 is fifth warmest year on record amid warming trend

Earth's average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the fifth warmest year on record, according to an analysis released Thursday by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Continuing the planet's long-term warming trend, global temperatures in 2022 were 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.89 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA's baseline period (1951-1980), according to scientists from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), NASA's leading center for climate modeling.

"This warming trend is alarming," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Our warming climate is already making a mark: Forest fires are intensifying; hurricanes are getting stronger; droughts are wreaking havoc and sea levels are rising."

"NASA is deepening our commitment to do our part in addressing climate change. Our Earth System Observatory will provide state-of-the-art data to support our climate modeling, analysis and predictions to help humanity confront our planet's changing climate," he said.

The past nine years have been the warmest years since modern recordkeeping began in 1880. This means Earth in 2022 was about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1.11 degrees Celsius) warmer than the late 19th century average, according to NASA.

"The reason for the warming trend is that human activities continue to pump enormous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the long-term planetary impacts will also continue," said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt.