The annual State of the Climate reports involve more than 400 international authors from more than 50 countries. Two chapter authors reflect on what it means to play a part in such an ambitious report.
In 2014, global average sea level was 2.6 inches (67 mm) above the 1993 average, which is the highest yearly average in the satellite record.
In 2014, the upper ocean held more heat than average throughout most of the major ocean basins.
Depending on the data set, 2014 was either the warmest or tied-for-warmest year since records began in the mid-to-late 1800s.
In 2014, precipitation over land was generally below average, while precipitation over the oceans was above average.
Overall, average global river outflow in 2014 slightly exceeded the climate normal.
Worldwide in 2014, three dozen reference glaciers experienced an average mass loss equivalent to of 853 millimeters of water equivalent in 2014.
Scientists estimated global average carbon dioxide concentration at 397.2 parts per million (ppm) in 2014, as the global growth rate of carbon dioxide continues to accelerate.
In 2014, the most essential indicators of Earth's changing climate continued to reflect trends of a warming planet, with several setting new records. Here are NOAA Climate.gov's highlights from the State of the Climate in 2014 report released online today by the American Meteorological Society (AMS).
For those trying to guess the May 2015 global temperature as part of our 'Climate Challenge' game, the climate served up a new record. Nowhere was record cool, but lots of places were record warm.