This infographic shows 35 years (1981–2016) of fluctuations in annual sea surface temperature across the globe. The dataset used reveals a 0.51°C increase in temperature over this period, represented by the darkest blue colour tones at the lower end and yellow tone at the upper. A sharp increase in global sea surface temperature is noticeable towards the end of the dataset – hence the yellow 'halo' that can be seen.
Access the full Little Pictures of Climate gallery
Read more about the competition: Showcase your climate data visualisation talent
Apply here: Little Pictures of climate competition 2023