Sea-level change refers to temporal variations in the height of the global or regional ocean surface relative to a reference datum, driven by combined effects of eustatic, isostatic, and steric processes. Eustatic change primarily arises from alterations in ocean mass, notably through glacial–interglacial ice-sheet dynamics and contemporary land ice melt. Isostatic and tectonic processes modify the vertical position of the solid Earth, producing relative sea-level change at specific locations. Steric contributions reflect temperature- and salinity-driven density changes that alter ocean volume. Quantifying sea-level change integrates tide-gauge records, satellite altimetry, gravimetry, and glacial isostatic adjustment models for reconstructing past variability and constraining projections.
Melting of the Antarctic ice sheet due to global warming has long-term, irreversible societal impacts with important implications for people around the world. Spatial patterns of sea level change from ice sheet mass loss ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 5, 2025
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For nearly a decade, Leigh Stearns and collaborators aimed a laser scanner system at Greenland's Helheim Glacier. Their long-running survey reveals that Helheim's massive calving events don't behave the way scientists once ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 5, 2025
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A study published today found that while ice shelves in West Antarctica melt year-round, those in East Antarctica experience summer melting spikes, when sea ice retreats and warm ocean water flows beneath—a process known ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 30, 2025
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Up to 59% of Antarctic ice shelves may be at risk of disappearing under high-emission scenarios by 2300, according to a comprehensive analysis of the effect of ocean warming published in Nature. This could result in up to ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 30, 2025
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Rising seas are irreversible on human timescales and among the most severe consequences of climate change. Emissions released in the coming decades will determine how much coastlines are reshaped for centuries to come.
Earth Sciences
Oct 24, 2025
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Large changes in global sea level, fueled by fluctuations in ice sheet growth and decay, occurred throughout the last ice age, rather than just toward the end of that period, a study published in the journal Science has found.
Earth Sciences
Oct 16, 2025
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The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is one of the most dynamic regions of the Antarctic continent. Much of its bed lies below sea level, making the region particularly sensitive to ocean warming. Understanding the development ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 16, 2025
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A team of scientists led by Rutgers researchers has uncovered evidence that modern sea level rise is happening faster than at any time in the past 4,000 years, with China's coastal cities especially at risk.
Earth Sciences
Oct 15, 2025
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The timing of emissions reductions, even more so than the rate of reduction, will be key to avoiding catastrophic thresholds for ice-melt and sea-level rise, according to a new Cornell University study.
Earth Sciences
Oct 10, 2025
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Melting ice sheets in North America played a far greater role in driving global sea-level rise at the end of the last ice age than scientists had thought, according to a Tulane University-led study published in Nature Geoscience.
Earth Sciences
Oct 9, 2025
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