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 Climate ChangeFactsEvidenceCausesEffectsScientific ConsensusWhat is Climate Change?Extreme WeatherQuestions (FAQ)Vital SignsCarbon DioxideGlobal TemperatureMethaneArctic Sea Ice Minimum ExtentIce SheetsSea LevelOcean WarmingMitigation and AdaptationMitigation and AdaptationSustainability and Government ResourcesStoriesNews ListSubscribeAsk NASA ClimateMoreMultimediaClimate KidsFeedbackEyes on the EarthExplore This SectionClimate ChangeFactsVital SignsMitigation and AdaptationStoriesMoreEyes on the EarthClimate ChangeFrom the unique vantage point in space, NASA collects critical long-term observations of our changing planet.View of Earth's horizon from Space.Unable to render the provided sourceYou Are Here PosterEarth is more than a planet. Earth is home. As humans we are part of a broader, interconnected system and we share our home with over 8.5 million species. NASA studies our own planet more than any other. We observe Earth’s oceans, land, ice, and atmosphere, and measure how a change in one drives change in othersDownload HereLatest NewsMore NASA NewsArticle5 min readNASA’s CloudSat Ends Mission Peering Into the Heart of CloudsImage Articlemin read‘Vast and Rich:’ Studying the Ocean With NASA Computer Simulations3 min readNASA Data Helps Beavers Build Back StreamsArticle2 weeks ago5 min readNASA Selects New Aircraft-Driven Studies of Earth and Climate ChangeArticle2 weeks ago6 min readClimate Change ResearchArticle2 weeks agoEvidenceCausesEffectsHow Do We Know Climate Change is Real?There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause.Earth-orbiting satellites and new technologies have helped scientists see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate all over the world. These data, collected over many years, reveal the signs and patterns of a changing climate.Read MoreThis is a test imageWhat is causing climate change?Human activities are driving the global warming trend observed since the mid-20th century.Scientists attribute the global warming trend observed since the mid-20th century to the human expansion of the "greenhouse effect" — warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space.Over the last century, burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This increase happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2.Read MoreWhat are the effects of climate change?The effects of human-caused global warming are happening now, are irreversible for people alive today, and will worsen as long as humans add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.We already see effects scientists predicted, such as the loss of sea ice, melting glaciers and ice sheets, sea level rise, and more intense heat waves.Scientists predict global temperature increases from human-made greenhouse gases will continue. Severe weather damage will also increase and intensify.Read MoreImages of ChangeBefore-and-after images of Earth.Learn MoretestClimate Change ResourcesClimate Time MachineClimate change in recent historyGlobal Ice ViewerClimate change’s impact on iceMultimediaVast library of images, videos, graphics, and moreEn españolCreciente biblioteca de recursos en españolClimate Data ResourcesThis visualization shows total sea level change between 1992 and 2019, with orange/red regions indicating where sea levels are rising.Sea Level Change Observations from SpaceEstablished in 2014, this NASA-sponsored team works to improve the understanding of regional relative sea-level change on a range of timescales. They work with partners to translate the latest science and research into actionable information  and to communicate how impacts are increasing at the coast.Bolten_hyperwall.jpgNASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS)NCCS provides high performance computing for NASA-sponsored scientists and engineers. The purpose  is to enhance NASA capabilities in Earth science, with an emphasis on weather and climate prediction, and to enable future scientific discoveries that will benefit humankind.June, July, and August were 0.23°C (0.41°F) warmer than any other summer in NASA’s record.GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP)NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies assembles one of the world's most trusted global temperature records, using a combination of surface air temperature data acquired by tens of thousands of meteorological stations, as well as sea surface temperature data from ship- and buoy-based instruments.NASA Earth Exchange (NEX)NEX combines state-of-the-art supercomputing, Earth system modeling, and NASA remote sensing data feeds to deliver a work environment for exploring and analyzing terabyte- to petabyte-scale datasets covering large regions, continents or the globe.Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO)GMAO members perform research, develop models and assimilation systems, and produce quasi-operational products in support of NASA's missions. The Goddard Earth Observing System" (GEOS) family of models is used for applications across a wide range of spatial scales, from kilometers to many tens of kilometers.World of ChangeNASA Earth Observatory has produced a collection of image series that show some features of Earth that have changed over time due to both natural and human-induced causes.Learn MoreOne branch of Alaska’s Columbia Glacier seems to have retreated as far as it can, while the other still has some distance to go.This false-color image, captured by the Landsat 8 satellite, shows Alaska's Columbia Glacier and the surrounding landscape following the more than 20 kilometer retreat of the glacier between 1986 and 2019.Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
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