2009 NOAA State of the Climate Report Released

Our climate, defined as the long-term average of weather patterns, is changing. Data has been collected by more than 300 scientists reviewing key climate indicators which prove that the world has warmed. Coastal communities are one group threatened by climate warming. As water temperature increases, the water’s area expands, and an increased volume of melting ice sheets and glaciers are also accountable for rising sea levels. Written by an array of experts, the State of the Climate Report annually documents “the status of the climate system and our ability to observe it.” (p. 9) The concise Highlights report is available here, or you can view the full report here.

Arctic Sea Annual Ice Minimum (picture) from 2009 The State of the Climate Highlights.