(Washington Insider Magazine)-According to a global climate study, significant greenhouse gasses including methane and carbon dioxide were emitted into the atmosphere at record-high levels last year.
Ocean heat and the global sea level both reached historic highs in 2021, according to the annual State of the Climate report, which was published on Wednesday in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and was led by researchers from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities are the main cause of recorded climate change since the mid-20th century. As these gasses accumulate in the atmosphere, they warm the environment.
According to the most recent State of the Climate study, the average annual atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was 414.7 parts per million (ppm) in 2021, which is 2.3 ppm more than what was reported in 2020. Based on paleoclimatic data, the research determined that this amounts to the largest quantity ever observed since 1958, the beginning of the instrumental record, and for at least the last million years. Additionally, it was the fifth-highest growth rate recorded in the modern era.
The report states that methane and nitrous oxide, two other significant greenhouse gasses, also saw record levels last year. According to the study, the yearly rise in methane was the biggest on record for modern times, while the annual rise in nitrous oxide was third-highest.
According to the study, the last 7 years (2015–2021) have been the 7 warmest years on record, making last year the 5th or 6th warmest year on record, based on the dataset used.
According to the research, global ocean heat content reached record highs in 2021 when assessed from the ocean’s surface down to a depth of over 6,000 feet. This is a sign of constantly rising heat in the Earth’s system. The analysis concluded that although it was higher than the average for the period between 1991 and 2020, the global sea surface temperature declined between 2019 and 2020 as a result of the persistent La Nia conditions in the tropical Pacific.
According to the data, the worldwide average sea level increased by around 4.9 mm to a new record level for the tenth consecutive year. According to the study, the level was nearly 97 mm greater than the average value seen since satellite observations started in 1993.
The worldwide average sea level and ocean heat content both increased year over year at rates that were much higher than their historical trends, according to the research.
The report showed, among other notable findings, that the number of designated tropical storms throughout the Southern and Northern Hemisphere storm seasons in 2021 was “well above average,” with 97 storms as opposed to the average of 87 from 1991 to 2020. Hurricane Ida, a category 4 storm that hit the United States last year and was the fifth most costly storm on record since 1980, caused $75 billion in damage, according to the research.
More than 530 scientists from over 60 different nations have contributed to the climate report, which is currently in its 32nd edition.
