With climate change now our daily reality, climate scientists are working hard to understand its effects. And as climate denial and misinformation seems to crop up everywhere these days, it’s more important than ever that we keep tabs of current climate science so we can be effective, informed activists.

With that in mind, each month we’ll be bringing you a curated roundup of the some of the most important current studies on climate-related science, from studies on our changing ocean to news about climate’s effects on key industries.

2016 marks three consecutive years of record warmth for the globe

Data from new reports from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information show that the 2016 globally-averaged surface temperature was the highest since recordkeeping began in 1880. Since the start of the 21st century, the annual global temperature record has been broken five times (2005, 2010, 2014, 2015, and 2016). The globally averaged sea surface temperature was also the highest on record, at 1.35 degree F above average. The average Arctic sea ice extent for 2016 was the smallest annual average since recordkeeping began in 1979, while the average Antarctic sea ice extent for the year was the second smallest annual average. See all articles →