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.
Coastal sites subsiding at rates of up to 10 mm/year, making them more vulnerable to sea-level rise, have been pinpointed in new high-resolution maps of five major urban centers.
Earth Sciences
Apr 7, 2025
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A new study analyzed nearly four decades of deep ocean observations to reveal significant cooling and freshening of deep water in the Subtropical North Atlantic. The results suggest that warmer, saltier deep waters observed ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 26, 2025
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As the world focuses on glacier preservation on UN World Water Day, researchers at the University of Waterloo are exploring the glaciers of the Yukon's St. Elias Mountains. These massive bodies of ice, part of the planet's ...
Environment
Mar 24, 2025
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Around 14,500 years ago, toward the end of the last ice age, melting continental ice sheets drove a sudden and cataclysmic sea level rise of up to 65 feet in just 500 years or less. Despite the scale of the event, known as ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 24, 2025
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183
New geological data has given more insight into the rate and magnitude of global sea level rise following the last ice age, about 11,700 years ago. This information is of great importance to understand the impact global warming ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 19, 2025
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Public officials designing seawalls, levees and other safeguards against rising seas can save money if their solutions are flexible, adapting to sea-level increases over time, according to an analysis by scientists at Rutgers ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 18, 2025
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By 2050, sea levels along the United States coast are expected to rise by 0.25 to 0.30 meters, increasing flooding in low-lying areas. Due to its unique geography and infrastructure network, the Florida Keys is particularly ...
Environment
Mar 18, 2025
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As the planet warms, Antarctica's ice sheet is melting and contributing to sea-level rise around the globe. Antarctica holds enough frozen water to raise global sea levels by 190 feet, so precisely predicting how it will ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 13, 2025
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92
Global sea level rose faster than expected in 2024, mostly because of ocean water expanding as it warms, or thermal expansion. According to a NASA-led analysis, last year's rate of rise was 0.23 inches (0.59 centimeters) ...
Environment
Mar 13, 2025
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460
As climate change continues to drive global sea level rise, many people living in coastal areas are already seeing the effects. Coastal erosion is accelerating and shifting coastlines inland, and storm surges are getting ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 12, 2025
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