Climate Change Indicators in the United States
Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events – like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures – are becoming more common. Many of these observed climate changes are linked to rising levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, caused by human activities. EPA’s indicators provide evidence of these changes and their impacts on people and the environment. EPA partners with dozens of data contributors to compile and keep these indicators up to date.
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View the Indicators
Check out more than 50 indicators that show the causes and effects of climate change.
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Dig into the Data
Explore the data with maps and figures.
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Indicator Stories
Follow along with detailed narratives and supporting data about specific effects of climate change.
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About the Indicators
Learn about how EPA develops indicators, find answers to frequent questions, and access publications.
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Since 1973, the number of frozen days on all five Great Lakes has declined.
Many areas of the lakes have experienced significant decreases in ice-cover duration, while other parts have not changed significantly. For details, see the Great Lakes Ice Cover indicator. -
Ice sheets are losing mass.
Since 1992, Greenland and Antarctica have both lost ice overall, each one losing an average of more than 100 billion metric tons of ice per year. Water from these melting ice sheets ends up in the ocean and contributes to sea level rise. Find out more in the Ice Sheets indicator. -
Arctic glaciers are melting.
The loss of land-based ice in the Arctic has accelerated in recent decades. Since at least 1972, the Arctic has been the dominant source of global sea-level rise. Learn more in the Arctic Glaciers indicator. -
Levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are rising.
Global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and certain manufactured greenhouse gases have all risen to unprecedented levels over the last few hundred years. For details, see the Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases indicator.