The best graph of the warming, as it approaches 1.5C

The steady rise of Earth’s temperature as greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere and trap more and more heat is sending the planet spiraling closer to the point where warming’s catastrophic consequences may be all but assured.

You can see this metaphoric spiral become real in a new graphic drawn up by Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. The animated graphic features a rainbow-colored record of global temperatures spinning outward from the late 19th century to the present as the Earth heats up.

Monthly global temperatures from 1850-2016.
Monthly global temperatures from 1850-2016.

Hat tip to Grist, here. And see Ed Hawkins’ original, here.