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.
Beneath the surface of the Southern Ocean, vast volumes of cold, dense water plunge off the Antarctic continental shelf, cascading down underwater cliffs to the ocean floor thousands of meters below. These hidden waterfalls ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 22, 2025
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To protect against rising sea levels in a warming world, coastal cities typically follow a standard playbook with various protective infrastructure options. For example, a seawall could be designed based on the latest climate ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 17, 2025
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In estuaries—the transitional zones between rivers and the sea—fresh and salt water are constantly battling for dominance. But due to climate change, the saltwater is gaining ground. New research by Utrecht University's Institute ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 15, 2025
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150
Research led by the Union of Concerned Scientists reports that emissions from the world's largest fossil fuel and cement companies have contributed significantly to both present-day and long-term sea level rise. Products ...
A team of Earth scientists affiliated with Peking University and the Southern University of Science and Technology, both in China, and a researcher from the University of Southern California, in the U.S., have found that ...
One of the biggest challenges in predicting Antarctica's deeply uncertain future is understanding exactly what's driving its ice loss.
Earth Sciences
Apr 7, 2025
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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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17
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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