Unprecedented Heat: Earth's Hottest Temperatures in Millennia

Observations from satellites and weather stations confirm that the Earth has been rapidly warming over the past 44 years, and data from as far back as 1850 shows a clear rise in average temperatures. While it is challenging to precisely determine temperatures from thousands of years ago, paleoclimatologists are confident that the current warming trend is exceptional compared to any period since before the last ice age, about 125,000 years ago. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the hottest day in the past 100,000 years, scientists estimate that temperatures during a warm period 6,000 years ago were likely similar to current conditions. However, the current heat is unprecedented due to its rapidity and the fact that it is caused by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.