Temperature Data: 1880-2011

Global temperatures have warmed significantly since 1880, the beginning
of what scientists call the "modern record." At this time, the
coverage
provided by weather stations allowed for essentially global temperature
data. As greenhouse gas emissions from energy production, industry and
vehicles have increased, temperatures have climbed, most notably since
the late 1970s. In this animation of temperature data from 1880-2011,
reds indicate temperatures higher than the average during a baseline
period of 1951-1980, while blues indicate lower temperatures than the baseline average.