By Rosanne Skirble
A twin analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ranked 2012 as the 10th warmest year.
This map represents global temperature anomalies averaged from 2008 through 2012. (NASA)
The agencies' findings show that, with the exception of 1988, the nine warmest years in the 132-year global weather record have all occurred since the year 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranked as the hottest years ever.
While the globe experienced relatively warm temperatures last year, NOAA recently reported that the continental United States endured its warmest year ever in 2012.
Average global temperatures fluctuate from year to year. But the new reports, published jointly on Tuesday, provide the latest evidence that rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere resulting from factory, automobile and building emissions, is causing a long-term rise in global temperatures.
