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2016 is now the Earth’s hottest year since the start of record-keeping in 1880.
Based on data collected by National Aeronautics [air-uh-NAW-tiks] and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the Earth’s average temperature in 2016 was 0.94 degrees Celsius warmer than the 20th century’s average temperature. This marks 2016 as the third year in a row to break the record as the warmest year.
Two factors contributed to the record-breaking temperature increase of the planet in 2016. The first is El Niño, a natural weather phenomenon in which the Pacific Ocean is warmed up and excess heat is expelled into the atmosphere. El Niño, however, is not completely accountable for the planet’s warming. The second factor is greenhouse gas emissions from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and cutting down of rainforests. Of the two factors, emissions from human activities have the larger influence on the recurrent rise in temperature.
Although the warming affected the entire planet, it had the most drastic impact on the Arctic. The region experienced faster increase in temperature compared to other regions of the Earth. The Arctic experienced severe ice melting, which led to the relocation of an entire Alaskan village. Other parts of the world also suffered extreme weather disturbances such as floods, droughts, superstorms, and wildfires. Apart from said effects, rising sea levels and mass extinctions are other perils that can result from rising temperatures.