2015 was a tough year for vegetation, both natural and agricultural, with a near-record area of global land surfaces in some state of drought.
In 2014, global average sea level was 2.6 inches (67 mm) above the 1993 average, which is the highest yearly average in the satellite record.
In 2014, the upper ocean held more heat than average throughout most of the major ocean basins.
Depending on the data set, 2014 was either the warmest or tied-for-warmest year since records began in the mid-to-late 1800s.
In 2014, precipitation over land was generally below average, while precipitation over the oceans was above average.
Overall, average global river outflow in 2014 slightly exceeded the climate normal.
Worldwide in 2014, three dozen reference glaciers experienced an average mass loss equivalent to of 853 millimeters of water equivalent in 2014.
Scientists estimated global average carbon dioxide concentration at 397.2 parts per million (ppm) in 2014, as the global growth rate of carbon dioxide continues to accelerate.