State of the climate: How the world warmed in 2021

Jan 20, 2022

A traffic light sign is shown partially submerged.

While it is too early to predict with any certainty where 2022 will end up, it would be nothing out of the ordinary to have a year either similar to 2021 or 2020. Image: Unsplash/ Kelly Sikkema

Zeke Hausfather

US Analyst, Carbon Brief

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Climate Change

Annual global ocean heat content (in zettajoules – billion trillion joules, or 10^21 joules) for the 0-700 metre and 700-2000 metre layers

The temperature of the ocean has been dramatically rising. Image: Carbon Brief

Annual global average surface temperatures from 1850-2021. Image: Carbon Brief

Same as the first figure, but with data from 1970-2021 and using a 1981-2010 baseline period to highlight recent agreement between records. Image: Carbon Brief

Global average surface temperatures for each year relative preindustrial with their respective uncertainties (width of the curves) Image: Carbon Brief

Annual global mean surface temperatures with the effect of El Niño and La Niña (ENSO) events removed using the Foster and Rahmstorf (2011) approach. Image: Carbon Brief

Land and ocean temperature rise since the pre-industrial 1850-1900 period from Berkeley Earth. Image: Carbon Brief

Surface temperature anomalies for 2021 from Berkeley Earth. Note that Berkeley uses a 1951-80 baseline to calculate anomalies. Image: Carbon Brief

Regions of the world among the five warmest (reds) of five coolest (blues) on record for average annual temperatures in 2021. Image: Carbon Brief

Northern-hemisphere summer (June, July, August) average land surface temperatures from Berkeley Earth. Anomalies plotted with respect to a 1850-1900 baseline. Image: Carbon Brief

Location and types of climate extremes experienced in the Northern Hemisphere summer in 2021. Image: Carbon Brief

Annual global average surface temperatures from CMIP5 models and observations between 1950 and 2100 (through 2021 for observations). Image: Carbon Brief

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