The roughly 2-degree Fahrenheit (1 degrees Celsius) increase in global average surface temperature that has occurred since the pre-industrial era (1880-1900) might seem small, but it means a significant increase in accumulated heat. Given the tremendous size and heat capacity of the global oceans, it takes a massive amount of heat energy to raise Earth’s average yearly surface temperature even a small amount. NOAA graph, based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information. Blue bars indicate cooler-than-average years red bars show warmer-than-average years. Yearly surface temperature compared to the 20 th-century average from 1880–2022.
