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The Basics | Global Sea Level Rise – U.S. Sea Level Change
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Global warming from human activities is warming the ocean and melting ice sheets causing the global sea level to rise.' property='og:description'> <meta content='The Basics | Global Sea Level Rise – U.S. Sea Level Change' property='og:title'> <meta content='https://sealevel.globalchange.gov/sea-level-101/global-sea-level-rise/the-basics' property='og:url'> <meta content='article' property='og:type'> <meta content='2024-11-07 23:53:34 UTC' property='og:updated_time'> <meta content='https://sealevel.globalchange.gov/internal_resources/843/og_gsr.jpg' property='og:image'> <meta content='https://sealevel.globalchange.gov/internal_resources/843/og_gsr.jpg' name='twitter:image'> <meta content='https://sealevel.globalchange.gov/internal_resources/843/og_gsr.jpg' name='thumbnail'> <link href='https://sealevel.globalchange.gov/internal_resources/843/og_gsr.jpg' rel='image_src'> <meta content='859379156164259' property='fb:app_id'> <link 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</ul> </nav> <nav class='tertiary_nav tertiary_nav_mobile'> <div class='nav_label'> MENU </div> <select onchange='main.changePage(this.value);'> <option selected='selected' value='/sea-level-101/global-sea-level-rise/the-basics/'> The Basics </option> <option value='/sea-level-101/global-sea-level-rise/dive-deeper/'> Dive Deeper </option> </select> </nav> </div> <div data-react-class="CherTools" data-react-props="{"share":[["Facebook"],["Twitter"],["Pinterest"],["Email"]]}" data-react-cache-id="CherTools-0" class="chertools_floater"></div> <section class='content_page module feature_pages banner_present'> <article> <div id='on_this_page_column'> <div data-react-class="OtpDesktopNav" data-react-props="{}" data-react-cache-id="OtpDesktopNav-0"></div> </div> <div id='primary_column'> <div data-react-class="OtpMobileNav" data-react-props="{}" data-react-cache-id="OtpMobileNav-0"></div> <div class='wysiwyg_content'> <div class='snippet_box_container with_frame_title'> <div class='snippet_box_module'> <fieldset class='snippet_box_inners' role='presentation'> <legend class='frame_title'> Key Takeaways </legend> <p class='description'> <ul> <li>Greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere by human activities are warming the planet.</li> <li>Global sea level is rising mainly from ocean warming and melting land ice due to climate change.</li> <li>Global sea level is rising faster today than it was 100 years ago.</li> </ul> <p> </p> </fieldset> </div> </div> <div data-react-class="Video" data-react-props="{"files":[{"file":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBc0FJIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--1890372d13c815dab0dd98d826d61878b5d348bc/Sea%20Level%20video%20Global%20Sea%20Level%20Rise%207-28-24.mp4?disposition=inline"},{"file":"undefined"},{"file":"undefined"}],"vtt_files":[{"file":"/internal_resources/837/Sea Level video Global Sea Level Rise 7-28-24 (1).vtt"}],"caption":"As the planet warms from greenhouse gas emissions, ice sheets and glaciers melt, adding water to the ocean. The ocean also warms, which causes it to expand and take up more space. Together, this causes global sea level to rise. Credit: NASA","poster":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBc0lJIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--3759a8642f1f08e13beef84251bfd5adbee9f6d8/Screenshot%202024-08-03%20at%209.57.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?disposition=inline","video_div":"video_69941","layout":"column-width","autostart":false,"plays_inline":true,"vrview":"false","vrview_stereo":"true","title":"Causes of Global Sea Level Rise","display_caption":true,"autoloop":false,"controls":"minimal"}" data-react-cache-id="Video-0" class="column-width video_player_container"></div> <h2><span class="mb_anchor_title">The Link to Climate Change<a class="mb_anchor" name="the_link_to_climate_change"></a></span><b>Global Sea Level Rise Is Linked to Climate Change</b></h2> <p>For over 100 years, humans have burned coal, gas, and oil to produce energy. Burning these fossil fuels releases <a class="glossary_link" href="/resources/glossary/?alpha=A-Z:title&ss_id=451" title="Gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of radiation emitted by Earth’s surface, by the atmosphere itself, and by clouds. This property causes the greenhouse effect. Water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and ozone are the primary GHGs in Earth’s atmosphere">greenhouse gases</a> into the air. Greenhouse gases warm the Earth, like a blanket wrapped around the globe. Adding more greenhouse gases thickens the blanket and the Earth becomes warmer.</p> <div class='faq_floater_container'> <aside class='faq_floater module'> <div class='question expanding_list_item'> <a class='mb_anchor_faq' id='question_122' name='question_122'></a> <div class='title_container' id='title_container_question_122'> <div class='title'> What's the difference between melting sea ice and melting land ice on sea levels? </div> </div> <div class='text answer'> <p>Melting sea ice doesn't raise sea levels because it's already floating in the ocean, like ice in a glass of water. However, melting land ice, such as ice in the ice sheets, adds extra water to the ocean, causing sea levels to rise.</p> <a class='answer_detail_link' href='/faq/122/whats-the-difference-between-melting-sea-ice-and-melting-land-ice-on-sea-levels/' id='answer_detail_122'> Detailed answer </a> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <script> $(document).ready(function(){ $('#title_container_question_122').click(function(){ $(this).toggleClass("open"); $(this).siblings('.answer').slideToggle() }); }); </script> <p>Around 90% of this added heat is being absorbed by the ocean, warming it up. When water warms, it expands and takes up more space. This causes the water to rise along the coastline. Currently, about one third (around 33%) of global sea level rise is because of ocean warming.</p> <p>The other two thirds (around 66%) of global sea level rise is because of melting land ice. As Earth heats up, it melts the land ice, including the Greenland and Antarctic <a class="glossary_link" href="/resources/glossary/?alpha=A-Z:title&ss_id=377" title="An ice body originating on land that covers an area of continental size, generally defined as covering >19,000 square miles (>50,000 km2) and that has formed over thousands of years through accumulation and compaction of snow. Presently, only two ice sheets exist: the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Greenland Ice Sheet. These ice sheets contain the majority of the world's freshwater and have an important influence on global sea levels.">Ice Sheets</a> and other <a class="glossary_link" href="/resources/glossary/?alpha=A-Z:title&ss_id=443" title="Masses of ice found in mountainous regions that store vast amounts of freshwater. As these glaciers melt due to global warming, they contribute to sea level rise by adding additional water to the oceans.">mountain glaciers</a>. The water then flows into the ocean which raises sea levels.</p> <div class='image_module column-width' style=''> <figure class='inline_figure'> <script> function resizeFancyboxForImageModule () { var isFancyboxOpen = $('.fancybox-wrap').is(":visible"); if(isFancyboxOpen) { var $fancy = $.fancybox.current; $fancy.fitToView = true; $fancy.scrolling = "none"; $fancy.wrap.css({"overflow": "visible"}); $fancy.inner.css({"overflow": "visible"}); $.fancybox.update() // Gets called automatically on FF but not webkit } } // keeps multiple listeners from being added per image module $(window).off('resize', resizeFancyboxForImageModule).on('resize', resizeFancyboxForImageModule); </script> <a class='inline_image_enlarge fancybox' href='/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBcmdJIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--027b0694c793911f370adfcf9d76008833e4f006/Causes_of_Global_Sea_Level_Rise.jpeg'> <picture> <source srcset='/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBcmdJIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--027b0694c793911f370adfcf9d76008833e4f006/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCam9MWm05eWJXRjBPZ2wzWldKdyIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoidmFyaWF0aW9uIn19--24997868381b1f10543ce76109cabaf03df01923/Causes_of_Global_Sea_Level_Rise.jpeg?content_type=image%2Fwebp&disposition=inline' type='image/webp'> <img alt='Infographic showing causes of global sea level rise: greenhouse gases added by human activities, which warms the planet, leading to ocean warming and land ice melting' src='/internal_resources/791/Causes_of_Global_Sea_Level_Rise.jpeg'> </picture> <div class='enlarge_icon'></div> </a> <figcaption> Greenhouse gas emissions lead to warming of Earth's atmosphere and ocean. This warming leads to increases in ice sheet and glacier melting, as well as ocean expansion. As the ocean takes up more space due to warming and gains mass from formerly frozen ice, the global sea level rises. As greenhouse gas emissions continue, global sea level rises faster over time.Click to enlarge. Credit: Allie Braun, NASA JPL. </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class='snippet_box_container with_frame_title'> <div class='snippet_box_module'> <fieldset class='snippet_box_inners' role='presentation'> <legend class='frame_title'> Sea Level Snippets </legend> <p class='description'> <ul> <li>The ocean absorbs about 90% of the excess heat from global warming. To give you an idea of how much heat that is, imagine every person on Earth (around 8 billion people) using 100 hair dryers at the same time and pointing them at the ocean. That's roughly the amount of heat the ocean is absorbing every second!</li> <li>The amount of ice being lost from Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets each year is roughly equivalent to covering New York City in a layer of ice that is 1250 feet (381 meters) thick, which is about the same height as the Empire State Building. </li> </ul> <p> </p> </fieldset> </div> </div> <h2><span class="mb_anchor_title">How Do We Know Sea Level Rise Is Increasing?<a class="mb_anchor" name="how_do_we_know_sea_level_rise_is_increasing?"></a></span>How Do We Know Sea Levels Are Rising Faster Than They Were Before?</h2> <p>For decades, sea levels have been measured across the world with <a class="glossary_link" href="/resources/glossary/?alpha=A-Z:title&ss_id=458" title="An instrument fitted with sensors that continuously record the height of the surrounding water-level to help with tide and sea level change monitoring. Measures the height of the sea relative to land at a specific location.">tide gauges</a> and <a class="glossary_link" href="/resources/glossary/?alpha=A-Z:title&ss_id=460" title="An instrument onboard a satellite that measures the distance between the satellite and the Earth's surface. It does this by sending radar pulses to the surface and timing how long they take to return. This data is used to determine sea surface heights and monitor ocean currents.">satellite altimeters</a>. These measurements are combined to calculate the average ocean height across the world, the global sea level, each month or year. Comparing these values over time shows the amount and rate of change of global sea level.</p> <div class='faq_floater_container'> <aside class='faq_floater module'> <div class='question expanding_list_item'> <a class='mb_anchor_faq' id='question_107' name='question_107'></a> <div class='title_container' id='title_container_question_107'> <div class='title'> How much has sea level risen in the past 100 years? </div> </div> <div class='text answer'> <p>Global mean sea level, or the average height of the ocean surface, has risen 6 - 8 inches (15 - 20 centimeters) since 1920. The rate of this sea level rise is increasing...</p> <a class='answer_detail_link' href='/faq/107/how-much-has-sea-level-risen-in-the-past-100-years/' id='answer_detail_107'> Detailed answer </a> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <script> $(document).ready(function(){ $('#title_container_question_107').click(function(){ $(this).toggleClass("open"); $(this).siblings('.answer').slideToggle() }); }); </script> <p>The global sea level has been rising since the 19th century, when modern records began. And, it has been rising faster in recent years. It took 90 years (1902 – 1992) for the global sea level to rise around 4 inches. In just the last 30 years (1993 - 2023), that same amount of rise, around 4 inches, happened again. </p> <p>When we plot global sea level it is not a straight line, but rather it goes up and down slightly. These movements, known as variability, show natural changes that happen due to a number of different factors. Things like tides can change sea levels over hours or days. Large climate events, like <a class="glossary_link" href="/resources/glossary/?alpha=A-Z:title&ss_id=486" title="El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by the warming of surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. This warming disrupts normal weather patterns, leading to significant changes in global climate, including increased rainfall in some regions and droughts in others. It also leads to higher sea level on the U.S. west coast and can have an impact on storm tracks that impact the U.S. east coast. El Niño typically occurs every 2 to 7 years and is part of a broader climate cycle known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). ">El Niño</a>, can cause changes in sea levels over months or years. However, even though we see wiggles up and down in the global sea level, these natural changes are not large enough to offset the overall rise in global sea level we are seeing from climate change.</p> <p><b>Dive Deeper: </b><b><a href="/sea-level-101/global-sea-level-rise/dive-deeper/">Learn more about global sea level rise and why it is happening</a></b><a href="/sea-level-101/causes/dive-deeper/"><b>.</b></a></p> <aside class='aside_module promo'> <a class='image_column' href='/national-sea-level-explorer/' target='_self'> <div class='aside_module_image'> <img alt="graph data" src="/internal_resources/720/guide-promo.jpeg" /> </div> </a> <div class='text_column'> <header> <h2 class='boxed_module_title'> Prepare for a More Resilient Future </h2> </header> <div class='aside_body'> <p> View past, present and future sea level rise and impacts for the coastlines of the United States. </p> </div> <p> <a class='aside_link' href='/national-sea-level-explorer/' target='_self'> National Sea 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