GMST
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Environmental
| Stands for | Global mean surface temperature |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
GMST stands for Global mean surface temperature, an environmental abbreviation.
Average of near-surface air temperatures over land and sea-surface temperatures over the ocean across the whole globe, the main indicator of global warming. Changes are usually expressed relative to a pre-industrial baseline, commonly 1850-1900.
Example: GMST in 2024 was about 1.55 °C above the pre-industrial average, the warmest year on record.
Usage notes
Major datasets are produced by NASA, NOAA, the UK Met Office with the University of East Anglia, Berkeley Earth and Europe's Copernicus service, and they agree closely. The Paris Agreement's 1.5 °C goal refers to a long-term average over about 20 years, so a single year above 1.5 °C does not by itself mean the goal has been breached.
Related abbreviations
More environmental abbreviations
- EN – Endangered
- ENSO – El Niño-Southern Oscillation
- EPD – Environmental product declaration
- EPR – Extended producer responsibility
- ETS – Emissions trading system
- GHG – Greenhouse gas
- GWP – Global warming potential
- HAB – Harmful algal bloom
- HAP – Hazardous air pollutant
- IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- LC – Least Concern
- LCA – Life-cycle assessment