Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS

Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

August 20,
2017

Scientists Confirm Warming Planet as Trump Reviews Climate Report

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Study: 2016 Warmest Year on R

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Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

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Last year, planet Earth was hotter than ever before. That is according to a report by
the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

It says that 2016 marked the third year in a row of record warmth. NOAA scientists
have kept records for the last 136 years.

The report says long-term global warming and an unusually strong El Nio weather
pattern combined to make it a record hot year. El Nios are weather patterns that
warm the Pacific Ocean. That puts a lot of heat into the atmosphere and raises
temperatures. They helped raise extreme temperatures, dry conditions and heavy
rains.

It also says high temperatures helped set fires in Alberta, Canada. Deadly heat and
drought, or extremely dry conditions hit India, which resulted in a water crisis.

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Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

FILE - Buffalos on the dried-up Chandola Lake in Ahmedabad, India, March 30, 2016. The
drought-- very dry conditions-- meant water shortages for the country's animals and people..

More than 450 scientists from nearly 60 countries contributed to the report, released
on August 10th.

Deke Arndt is a co-author of the report. He spoke to VOA by Skype.

"It confirms what we know. We know we live in a warming world, we know that that
world is going to continue to warm. We know that this is going to cause issues
around the world."

Named the State of the Climate, NOAA says the report takes into account tens of
thousands of measurements. They include global climate indicators, weather events,
greenhouse gas emissions, sea levels, the saltiness of the oceans, snow cover
and sea ice.

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Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

NOAA State of the Climate 2016 report. The report says long-term global warming and an
unusually strong El Nio weather pattern combined to make it a record hot year.

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Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

Greenhouse gases were the highest on record. Other climate numbers that were at
their highest record include global surface temperatures, as well as sea surface
temperatures. And, the global sea level average also rose to a new record high in
2016 - it was about 82 millimeters higher than observed in 1993.

Tropical cyclones were also up. There were 93 named cyclones in 2016. One number
went downthe amount of Arctic sea ice. It was not good news. The most Arctic sea
ice coverage in March 2016 was the smallest in 37 years.

NOAA's Arndt says there is little question about why the planet is warming.

"We can always refine the numbers on exactly what percent is coming, but the vast
majority is coming from human activity. And that's very abundantly clear."

But this report is not in agreement with the Trump administration policy.
Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt says it is still debatable whether
humans are responsible for global warming.

"I believe the ability to measure with precision the degree of human activity's effect
on the climate is subject to more debate."

Pruitts statements and the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement goes
against what many climate scientists in the U.S. believe.

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Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

The coal-fired Plant Scherer, one of the nation's top carbon dioxide emitters, in Juliette, Ga.,
June, 3, 2017.

The NOAA report came out days after The New York Times published a draft of a
U.S. government report on climate. It said that the average temperature in the
country has risen quickly and drastically since 1980. It also says that recent
decades have been the warmest in the past 1,500 years.

This report was written by scientists from 13 federal agencies. It says that Americans
are already feeling the result of climate change. It also says human activities are
mainly responsible for climate change, and that there are no other explanations.

The report is part of the National Climate Assessment and is published every four
years. The National Academy of Sciences has approved the study. The authors are
waiting for the Trump administration to approve its release.

Im Anne Ball.

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Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English from several VOA News story.
Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments
Section and visit us on our Facebook page.

____________________________________________________________

Quiz
Now, test your understanding with this short quiz.

Quiz - Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

____________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
greenhouse gas n. carbon dioxide and other gases that scientists have linked to
rising temperatures in Earths atmosphere

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Study: 2016 Warmest Year on Record

emission n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas)
from a source

precision n. the quality of being precise : exactness or accuracy

draft n. a version of something (such as a document) that you make before you
make the final version

drastic - adj. extreme in effect or action: severe or serious

decade n. ten years

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