This story was originally published byGrist.
For decades, their models have largely ended up matching global temperatures.
Then 2023 came along.
A couple watches the sun set, on May 13, 2023, as seen from the 520 Bridge View Park in Washington during a heat wave.Photo: Lindsey Wasson ( (AP))
Then the heat came for the land, too.
The heat dialed up even more when a recurring climate pattern known as El Nino took hold last summer.
I mean, it really matters, and it has implications for the future, how this gets resolved.
Everything is on the table, he said.
Heres what scientists know so far: Climate change has warmed the planet by1.3 degrees Ccompared to preindustrial times.
But the last 12 months have been about 1.6 degrees C hotter, according to the latest data.
That still leaves as much as0.2 Cunexplained.
Starting in January 2020, the International Maritime Organization began enforcing amandatory reductionof sulfur oxide emissions from shipping fuel.
These airborne particles canbe harmfulto human lungs, contribute to acid rain, and inhibit plant growth.
The search is still on for other puzzle pieces.
A 2022 volcanic eruption might haveadded warmthby sending a huge amount ofheat-trapping water vaporinto the atmosphere.
An upswing in solar activity might have begunsooner than expected, trapping radiation within the atmosphere.
So at some point, there may be surprises out there.
He wonders whether its even possible to solve the puzzle.
The last several months of heat align more closely with what theyexpected from El Nino.
This article originally appeared inGristathttps://grist.org/science/mysterious-x-factor-2023-heat-records/.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
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