Fact Check: Global temperatures have risen 1.1°C since 1880.

Fact Check: "Global temperatures have risen 1.1°C since 1880."

What We Know

The claim that global temperatures have risen by 1.1°C since 1880 is supported by multiple reputable sources. According to the NOAA Climate.gov, the global average surface temperature has indeed increased by approximately 1.1°C since the late 19th century, specifically referencing the period from 1850 to 1900 as a baseline for pre-industrial temperatures. Additionally, the NASA Earth Observatory corroborates this finding, stating that the average global temperature has increased by at least 1.1°C since 1880, with most of the warming occurring since 1975 at a rate of about 0.15 to 0.20°C per decade.

Furthermore, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) supports this assertion, indicating that the global surface temperature has reached approximately 1.1°C above the 1850-1900 average during the period from 2011 to 2020.

Analysis

The evidence supporting the claim comes from multiple independent research groups, including NOAA and NASA, which have consistently reported similar temperature trends. The data from these organizations are compiled from various sources, including ground-based meteorological stations and ocean temperature records, ensuring a comprehensive overview of global temperature changes.

The reliability of these sources is high, as they are government agencies with extensive expertise in climate science. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information and NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies are both recognized for their rigorous methodologies in climate data collection and analysis. The consensus among these organizations strengthens the credibility of the claim.

While some sources may present slightly varying figures due to differences in methodologies or baseline periods, the overall trend of a 1.1°C increase since 1880 is consistently reported. For instance, while NOAA emphasizes the increase relative to the 20th-century average, NASA's analysis focuses on the change since 1880, yet both converge on the same conclusion regarding the extent of warming.

Conclusion

The claim that "global temperatures have risen 1.1°C since 1880" is True. This conclusion is supported by robust data from reputable scientific organizations, which consistently report a significant increase in global temperatures since the late 19th century. The consensus among climate scientists regarding the extent of this warming underscores the validity of the claim.

Sources

1. Climate change: global temperature - NOAA Climate.gov
2. World of Change: Global Temperatures - NASA Earth Observatory
3. Global Temperature | Vital Signs – Climate Change - NASA
4. What evidence exists that Earth is warming and that humans are the main ...
5. NASA SVS | Global Temperature Graph 1880-2024
6. Monthly Climate Reports | Global Climate Report | Annual 2020
7. Global Temperature - Global Sea Level Change - earth.gov
8. Climate Change: Global Temperature