Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: IE
Context: The annual mean temperature of the world is known to have increased by 1.1 degree Celsius from the average of the 1850-1900 period. But this increase is not uniform. It varies in different regions and also at different times of the year.
Major findings:
| Findings | Explanation | |
| Land Temperature Increase | Overland, the annual mean temperatures have risen by as much as 1.59 degrees Celsius since preindustrial times. | |
| Ocean Temperature Increase | Oceans, in contrast, have warmed by about 0.88 degree Celsius. | |
| Temperature Rise over India | Annual mean temperatures over India had risen by 0.7 degree Celsius from 1900 while the global temperature rise has been 1.1 degrees C. | |
| Reason for Lower Temperature Rise in India | The relatively lower rise in temperatures over India can be attributed to a complex set of atmospheric phenomena, including heat transfers from the tropics to the poles through prevailing systems of air circulation. | 
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| Impact of Aerosols | Aerosols scatter sunlight back so that lesser heat is absorbed by the land. Aerosol concentration in the Indian region is quite high. This could also lower the warming effect. | |
| Polar Region Warming | The polar regions, particularly the Arctic, have seen significantly greater warming than the world average. The IPCC report says the Arctic region has warmed at least twice as much as the world average. | |
| Causes of Polar Region Warming | Albedo effect, changes in clouds, water vapour and atmospheric temperatures. | |
