It's Official ... Last Year Was One of the Warmest on Record
by Sid Perkins 胡德良 译
Last year, the globe sweltered through one of the hottest years on record. Global average temperature was 14.47°C (58.03°F), or about 0.57°C (1.03°F) above the 20th century average, according to data presented today by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Record warmth in the continental United States (denoted by dark red in the image) and warmer-than-average temperatures elsewhere (varying shades of red) helped make the year the 10th-warmest since 1880 and the 36th consecutive year marked by a global average temperature falling above the average for the 20th century. All 12 years of the 21st century rank among the 14 warmest in the 133-year interval since record-keeping began, the researchers noted. The year 2012 was on track to be the eighth-warmest year on record before a spate of cold weather struck the Northern Hemisphere in December—a cold spell that resulted in a record amount of snow cover for the hemisphere for that month. One final record worth mentioning: 2012 was the warmest La Ni?a year yet seen—which is notable because La Ni?as, which are typically marked by cooler-than-average sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, normally result in lower-than-average global temperature. Data compiled by NASA researchers, who use satellite data to estimate temperatures in regions not covered by weather stations, suggest that 2012 was the ninth-warmest year on record. | 去年,地球熬过了有记录以来最热的年份之一。根据国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)的研究人员今天提交的数据,去年全球的平均气温为14.47°C(58.03°F),大约比20世纪的平均气温高出0.57°C(1.03°F)。美国大陆上出现了创纪录的高温(标记为暗红色),比任何其他地方的平均气温都要高(见其他不同的红色区),使得去年自从1880年以来在最高气温年份中排第10位,也是平均气温连续超过20世纪的第36个年份。研究人员指出:在开始记录以来的133年中,21世纪的12年全部位列14个最热的年份之中。一段寒冷的天气在12月份袭击北半球以前,2012年正在朝着第八大最热年份发展,可是12月份的那段寒冷天气导致了有记录以来最大量的雪将北半球一直覆盖到月底。最后一个值得一提的创纪录事件是:据观察,2012年是最热的拉尼娜现象年。2012年值得关注,正是因为发生了拉尼娜现象。拉尼娜现象的典型标志是赤道附近的太平洋海面气温比平均值要低,通常会造成较低的全球气温平均值。国家航空航天管理局(NASA)的研究人员利用卫星资料测算了无气象站覆盖区域的气温,他们收集的数据显示:2012年是有记录以来第九大最热年份。 |
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