NASA, NOAA data indicate record temperatures for nation and globe

The year 2012 was among the 10 hottest years on record globally, according to data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The average global temperature for 2012 was one degree Fahrenheit higher than the baseline, at 58.6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a NASA press release.

Nine of the globe’s hottest years on record have occurred since 2000. NOAA reported 2012 also had record high temperatures for the lower 48 states.

Click here for a short PDF slide show on climate data comparisons.

Image: 2012 global surface temperature anomaly (Credit: NASA/NOAA)