State of the Climate

State of the Climate
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Public domain · source
Name	State of the Climate
Caption	Global climate indicators synthesis
Jurisdiction	Global
Established	Ongoing

Contents

State of the Climate is an annual synthesis and assessment of global physical, chemical, and biological climate indicators produced by scientific agencies, research institutions, and intergovernmental bodies. It summarizes metrics such as global surface temperature, ocean heat content, atmospheric composition, cryospheric extent, sea level, and extreme events to inform policy processes, scientific research, and public understanding. Major contributors and users include National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Space Agency, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and national meteorological services such as Met Office, Bureau of Meteorology (Australia), and Japan Meteorological Agency.

Overview and Key Indicators

Annual reports compile indicator time series integrating observations from satellite missions like Landsat, Terra (satellite), Aqua (satellite), and ICESat with in situ networks such as Argo (oceanography), Global Climate Observing System, and the Global Atmosphere Watch. Key indicators tracked across decades include surface temperature anomalies referenced to baselines used by Hadley Centre, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, and NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies; ocean heat content assessed by programs described by World Meteorological Organization and Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research; greenhouse gas concentrations maintained by stations like Mauna Loa Observatory and programs under Scripps Institution of Oceanography; cryosphere extent measured by teams at National Snow and Ice Data Center, Alfred Wegener Institute, and research consortia such as International Arctic Science Committee.

Global mean surface temperature estimates reconcile records from HadCRUT, GISTEMP, NOAA GlobalTemp, and reanalysis systems like ERA5 and MERRA-2 to document warming influenced by radiative forcing assessed by the IPCC AR6 process. Ocean heat content trends rely on Argo profiling floats supported by agencies including NOAA, CNES, and JAMSTEC to reveal heat uptake in upper and deep ocean layers; contributors include research programs such as World Ocean Circulation Experiment and Global Ocean Observing System. Attribution studies engage groups at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Met Office Hadley Centre, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and National Center for Atmospheric Research to link observed warming to anthropogenic forcings characterized by work at NOAA ESRL and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Long-term records of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide from observatories like Mauna Loa Observatory and networks under Integrated Carbon Observation System are synthesized with satellite retrievals from Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 and Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite. Research groups at Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Columbia University, University of Cambridge, and ETH Zurich analyze sources and sinks including fossil fuel emissions inventories from International Energy Agency and land-use change datasets used by Food and Agriculture Organization. Stratospheric ozone trends measured by World Meteorological Organization assessments and instruments such as Ozone Monitoring Instrument inform interactions with greenhouse forcing studied by teams at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

Global mean sea level estimates combine satellite altimetry records from TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason (satellite) series, and Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich with tide gauge compilations curated by Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level and research centers like Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Ocean warming documented by Argo and ship-based measurements interacts with cryosphere melt from Greenland Ice Sheet and Antarctic Ice Sheet fluxes studied by British Antarctic Survey and University of Washington. Ocean acidification trends emerge from surface pH observations coordinated by Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network and analyzed by institutions including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

Mass balance and dynamical changes of the Greenland Ice Sheet and Antarctic Ice Sheet are quantified using satellite altimetry from ICESat-2, gravimetry from GRACE and GRACE-FO, and airborne campaigns led by NASA Operation IceBridge and research centers such as Utrecht University and University of Colorado Boulder. Glacier inventories maintained by the World Glacier Monitoring Service and studies at University of Zurich document retreat patterns also observed in mountain ranges like the Himalayas, Andes, and Alps. Sea ice extent and thickness trends in the Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean are monitored by NSIDC, European Space Agency programs, and field campaigns supported by Scott Polar Research Institute.

Attribution of extreme events involves collaborations among World Weather Attribution, IPCC, NOAA National Hurricane Center, and regional services such as ECMWF and Météo-France. Observed changes include shifts in frequency and intensity of heat waves cataloged by European Heatwaves, intensified rainfall and flood events studied by US Geological Survey and China Meteorological Administration, and cyclone metrics compiled by Joint Typhoon Warning Center and National Hurricane Center with contributions from Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Compound hazards, wildfire behavior researched by US Forest Service and Canadian Forest Service, and drought impacts analyzed by Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme illustrate cross-sectoral risk increases.

Ecosystem responses are documented across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine domains by researchers at Smithsonian Institution, National Park Service, Australian Antarctic Division, University of Cape Town, and Pew Charitable Trusts programs. Fisheries and coastal communities studied by FAO and NOAA Fisheries face habitat shifts linked to warming and acidification observed by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and Institute of Marine Research (Norway). Human health impacts, including heat-related morbidity and vector-borne disease changes, are monitored by World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and national public health institutes like Public Health England. Adaptation and mitigation policy interfaces involve actors such as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Green Climate Fund, World Bank, and national ministries of environment and energy across jurisdictions exemplified by European Commission, Ministry of Ecology (France), and Ministry of Environment and Forests (India).

Category:Climate