2012 is ninth warmest year since 1880

2012 was the ninth warmest year on record since 1880, according to a release from NASA. Eight of the warmest years have all occurred since 2000, with NASA reporting 2010 and 2005 as the warmest, respectively.

The average temperature in 2012 was 58.3 degrees Fahrenheit, one degree warmer than the mid-nineteenth century baseline of 57.3 degrees. Scientists at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, who reported the 2012 global temperatures, say that the continental U.S. experienced its highest temperatures on record in 2012.

According to the Goddard Institute, atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide in 1880 were at 285 parts per million. Today, they sit at 390 parts per million.