Update: Carbon Dioxide Concentration
April's global average atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) was about 421 parts per million (ppm), a roughly 51% increase since 1750. This rise is mainly due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels.

Update: Ice Sheets
The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing a combined 420 billion metric tons of mass (ice) per year since 2002, adding to sea level rise. One billion metric tons is equal to 2.2 trillion pounds, or 10,000 fully-loaded U.S. aircraft carriers.

A Global Biodiversity Crisis: How NASA Satellites Help Track Changes to Life on Earth
Climate change plays an increasing role in the global decline of biodiversity—the variety of life on Earth. Scientists use NASA data to track ecosystem changes and to develop tools for conserving life on land, in our ocean, and in freshwater ecosystems.

NASA Mission to Study Ice Clouds, Help Observe Our Dynamic Atmosphere
The agency has selected a new mission to help humanity better understand Earth’s dynamic atmosphere – specifically, ice clouds that form at high altitudes throughout tropical and subtropical regions.

Two NASA Studies Find Lower Methane Emissions in Los Angeles Region
Researchers found that emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas dropped for several years near the nation’s second-largest metropolitan area.

Twitter Thread: Monthly Global Temperature Update
April 2023 was the 4th-hottest April globally since modern recordkeeping began in 1880, measuring at 1.00°C (1.80°F) above NASA’s 1951-1980 baseline average. The six hottest Aprils on record have occurred since 2016.

Images of Change: California's Lake Oroville Fills Up
Stormy weather dumped substantial rainfall on California from December 2022 through January 2023, causing Lake Oroville to fill up with water after years of shrinking from ongoing drought conditions and human use. Visit the link above to learn how much water this area gained.

Images of Change: California's Lake Shasta Rises
After weeks of rainfall in December 2022 through January 2023, the water level in California’s Shasta Lake has risen after years of persistent drought and human use. Visit the link above to see the difference from space.

NASA's Global Climate Change website is produced by the Earth Science Communications Team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech. To learn more, visit our website at

› climate.nasa.gov