Heat Waves and Cold Spells of the 21st Century
This simulation, produced by the Goddard Earth Observing System Model Version 5 (GEOS-5) at 12.5-km resolution, shows surface temperature anomalies for the period January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2013. These anomalies are 7-day running means of local differences from the MERRA-2 reanalysis daily climatology and align with observed extremes throughout the record of observation. The increased resolution of the simulation provides additional detail on the regional impacts of these extremes.
A larger version of this animation is available for download. Links: MPEG-4 format, OGG format
This simulation highlights prolonged heat-waves and cold-spells across the globe throughout the 21st century. These include, among others: the severe European heat-waves of 2003, 2006 and 2007; the North American heat wave of 2006; and the extreme heat wave throughout the northern hemisphere in 2010.
