Earth is "unmistakably" warming says a new report published by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The findings of the 2009 State of the Climate study indicate that continued warming will transform the way in which societies function, as coastal cities, water supplies agriculture and infrastructure will all be threatened.
More than 300 scientists from 160 research groups in 48 countries contributed to the report.
The data were collected from a number of sources, including satellites, weather balloons, weather stations, ships, buoys and field surveys. They all point to the same conclusion, the report says: "Our planet is warming."
The researchers found that each of the last three decades has been considerably warmer than the decade before.
In following decade-to-decade trends from such a range of sources from around the world, the researchers found, "we see clear and unmistakable signs of a warming world."
The study indicated that seven of 10 indicators for global temperature changes are rising: Air temperature over land, sea-surface temperature, air temperature over oceans, sea level, ocean heat, humidity and temperature in the "active-weather" layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth's surface.
Three of the indicators are declining: Arctic sea ice, glaciers and spring snow cover in the Northern hemisphere.
(TerraDaily)
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