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.
Sandy beaches account for approximately a third of the world's ice-free coastlines. These sandy shorelines are responsible for sediment and water retention, provide a buffer against rising water levels, and offer habitats ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 16, 2026
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The future of one of Antarctica's most iconic glaciers could be far more dramatic than scientists previously thought. Using satellite calibrated ice sheet models, a team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh found ...
Every summer, people living near the Mendenhall River in Juneau, Alaska, keep a close eye on the water level. When the river level begins to rise rapidly, it's a sign that Suicide Basin, a small glacier-dammed lake 5 miles ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 14, 2026
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Coral reefs over the past 12,000 years grew best when the ocean temperature was 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius), according to new research from Florida Tech. Recent ocean warming and regional and local disturbances ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 12, 2026
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Climate change is lengthening our days because rising sea levels slow Earth's rotation. Researchers from the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich now show that the current increase in day length—1.33 milliseconds per century—is ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 12, 2026
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Melting glaciers and ice sheets are raising sea levels while the Arctic is poised to log one of its worst winters on record.
Environment
Mar 11, 2026
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An article published recently in Nature Geoscience warns that Antarctica's ice masses have begun to experience a process scientists call "Greenlandification." The term refers to the unprecedented retreat of Greenland's outlet ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 10, 2026
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Climate change's rising seas may threaten tens of millions more people than scientists and government planners originally thought because of mistaken research assumptions on how high coastal waters already are, a new study ...
Environment
Mar 4, 2026
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A comprehensive 30-year study led by University of California, Irvine glaciologists has produced a circumpolar ice grounding line migration map of Antarctica. An amalgamation of three decades of satellite data compiled and ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 2, 2026
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Greenland's largest glacier, Jakobshavn Glacier, may be edging closer to a critical threshold as meltwater runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet accelerates in ways not seen in over a century, according to new research published ...
