The Hottest Earth in Recorded Human History

By: Juliana Witt

Summary.  142 years ago temperatures around the globe were being measured and recorded. This led to scientists making observations and averages of temperatures not only from the whole globe, but also from specific areas around the globe as well. Since the effects of climate change have been a waving red flag throughout the last decades varying global temperatures have been becoming increasingly important to scientists. Throughout the last decade global temperatures have been slightly increasing with July of 2021 being the hottest month on record. This insane record was measured at a temperature of 60.4 degrees Fahrenheit (15.8 degrees Celsius), this being almost 2 degrees higher than the global average. This heightened temperature is believed to be mostly caused from human factors, such as greenhouse gas effects from the release of carbon and methane. Even though this two degree increase in temperature doesn't seem like much, it can have huge impacts on many different functions around the world. This increase in temperature increases climate change which can cause major weather events which can affect animals and people living in heavily affected areas. Most noticeable to the public today is the increase in floods, droughts, and severe weather storms that have been occurring throughout the past years. As noted from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration a huge impact of increasing temperatures is melting Arctic sea ice. Due to the way heat rises the Arctic has gotten hit by the record breaking temperature the most. The July of 2021 procured the largest amount of sea ice loss in history, showing a direct correlation between increasing global temperatures and amount of sea ice melting per year. The increasing temperature bears with it huge impacts to the society that is known today and poses great threat to all the inhabitants of the Earth. It is frightening to think that we lived through the hottest recorded temperature and from the history that is being presented it is only going to get worse. 

Why we should care?  We should care about this topic because we are the reason for the impacts of a hotter earth. It is not only greatly affecting the animals and plants around us but is directly impacting the lives of many people.

Image Credit: https://abcnews.go.com/US/statistics-show-experiencing-historically-hot-weather/story?id=64438226

Example Article.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/08/13/july-2021-hottest-record-month/

​This article was interesting because it provided graphs and images to portray the intense heat surge throughout the entire world. It provided data from NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) that showed that the whole globe was hotter than it has ever been with just a few spots being cooler. Something this article also brought to light was the term "heat domes". Heat domes are areas that have a bubble-like top that does not allow the heat to leave, therefore becoming trapped. In this article it stated that the Northern hemisphere had 5 heat domes in the month of July. This heat was not only extreme, but it continued to August and September afterwards creating some of the hottest temperatures on record all over the world. Many different countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Japan experienced heat wave temperatures that they had not experienced for decades before. This is causing a wave of panic all over the world as places get hotter and hotter with no end. 

Science in Action.

Dr. Randall Cerveny is a Geographical Science Professor at Arizona State University and Rapporteur for the World Meteorological Association (WMO).

​Randall Cerveny's research is to, with scientific evidence, conclude if the temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius) is a legitimate temperature recording. This temperature was recorded in Death Valley in 2020 and could be the third hottest temperature ever recorded on the planet. Cerveny working with the WMOs (World Meteorological Organization) will contest if that temperature measure is true. This topic is relevant to July of 2021 being the world's hottest month because it shows that the temperatures on Earth are only getting hotter. With better research and technology, it can be shown that everywhere on Earth it is not only getting hotter but reaching scorching temperatures never felt by the people on the Earth. With a better focus on these weather extremes and temperatures it may be easier to inform the public about weather disasters and why they are occurring.