How is sea level rise related to climate change?

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">  <title>How is sea level rise related to climate change?</title>  <meta name="keywords" content="sea level, sea level rise, climate change, global warming NOS, National Ocean Service, NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration">  <meta name="DC.title" content="How is sea level rise related to climate change?">  <meta name="DC.description" content="A warming climate can cause seawater to expand and ice over land to melt, both of which can cause a rise in sea level"> <meta name="description" content="A warming climate can cause seawater to expand and ice over land to melt, both of which can cause a rise in sea level"> <meta name="DC.creator" content="US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration"> <meta name="DC.date.created" scheme="ISO8601" content="2013-06-01"> <meta name="DC.language" scheme="DCTERMS.RFC1766" content="EN-US"> <meta name="description" content="A warming climate can cause seawater to expand and ice over land to melt, both of which can cause a rise in sea level"> <meta name="twitter:card" content="How is sea level rise related to climate change?"/> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@noaaocean" /> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@noaaocean" />   <meta property="og:title" content="How is sea level rise related to climate change?" />  <meta property="og:description" content="A warming climate can cause seawater to expand and ice over land to melt, both of which can cause a rise in sea level" />  <meta property="og:image" content="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/slr-climate.jpg" />   <meta property="og:image" content="/apple-icon-144x144.png" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <link href="/bs4/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/font-awesome/css/all.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/bs4/css/theme.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Source+Sans+Pro:300,400,400i,700" rel="stylesheet">    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="57x57" href="/apple-icon-57x57.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="72x72" href="/apple-icon-72x72.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="144x144" href="/apple-icon-144x144.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="57x57" href="/apple-icon-57x57-precomposed.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="/apple-icon-72x72-precomposed.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="/apple-icon-144x144-precomposed.png" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico">  <header> <div class="usa-banner"> <small> <p class="text-center"> <img class="flag" src="/bs4/img/flag.png" alt="U.S. flag"> An official website of the United States government. <br class="d-md-none"> <a data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse-usa" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapseExample">Here's how you know we're official. </a> </p> </small> <div class="collapse pb-3" id="collapse-usa"> <div class="card-deck mx-5 mt-3"> <div class="card border-primary mb-4"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-md-12"> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="card-title small text-uppercase"><svg id="Layer_2" data-name="Layer 2" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 60 55" width="30" height="25"><defs><style>.cls-3{fill:#007faa;}.cls-4{fill:none;stroke:#046b99;stroke-miterlimit:10;}</style></defs><title>dot gov icon</title><path class="cls-3" d="M36.5,20.91v1.36H35.15a0.71,0.71,0,0,1-.73.68H18.23a0.71,0.71,0,0,1-.73-0.68H16.14V20.91l10.18-4.07Zm0,13.57v1.36H16.14V34.48a0.71,0.71,0,0,1,.73-0.68h18.9A0.71,0.71,0,0,1,36.5,34.48ZM21.57,23.62v8.14h1.36V23.62h2.71v8.14H27V23.62h2.71v8.14h1.36V23.62h2.71v8.14h0.63a0.71,0.71,0,0,1,.73.68v0.68H17.5V32.45a0.71,0.71,0,0,1,.73-0.68h0.63V23.62h2.71Z"/><circle class="cls-4" cx="27" cy="27.12" r="26"/></svg> <strong>Official websites use .gov</strong></h5> <p class="card-text"><small>A <strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.</small></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="card border-primary mb-4"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-md-12"> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="card-title small text-uppercase"><svg id="Layer_1" data-name="Layer 1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 60 55" width="30" height="25"><defs><style>.cls-1{fill:#549500;}.cls-2{fill:none;stroke:#458600;stroke-miterlimit:10;}</style></defs><title>https icon</title><path class="cls-1" d="M34.72,34.84a1.29,1.29,0,0,1-1.29,1.29H20.57a1.29,1.29,0,0,1-1.29-1.29V27.12a1.29,1.29,0,0,1,1.29-1.29H21V23.26a6,6,0,0,1,12,0v2.57h0.43a1.29,1.29,0,0,1,1.29,1.29v7.72Zm-4.29-9V23.26a3.43,3.43,0,0,0-6.86,0v2.57h6.86Z"/><circle class="cls-2" cx="27" cy="27.12" r="26"/></svg> <strong>Secure websites use HTTPS</strong></h5> <p class="card-text"><small>A small lock or <strong>https://</strong> means you鈥檝e safely connected to a .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.</small></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-100 d-none d-sm-block d-md-none">  </div> </div> </div> </div>   <div class="navbar navbar-expand-md" role="navigation" aria-selected="false"> <button type="button" class="navbar-toggler" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navigation"> <span class="sr-only">Toggle navigation</span> </button> <button type="button" class="navbar-toggler" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#search"> <span class="sr-only">Toggle search</span> </button> <div class="navbar-brand ml-auto" role="banner" aria-selected="false"> <div id="boxes-box-header_logo"> <a class="logo" href="/welcome.html"><img src="/bootstrap/img/noaa-logo-rgb-2022.svg" alt="National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration logo" width="74" height="74"></a> <a class="site-name" href="/welcome.html">National Ocean Service</a> <a class="site-slogan" href="https://noaa.gov">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a></div> </div> <div class="navbar navbar-light bg-white ml-auto mr-auto m-3 "> <form id="input-search-form" class="input-search" action="https://search.usa.gov/search" method="GET"> <input name="affiliate" type="hidden" value="oceanservice.noaa.gov" /> <label for="header-search" class="sr-only">Search</label> <input type="search" id="header-search" name="query" placeholder="Search"> <button type="submit" class="input-search__button"><img src="/bs4/img/search_icon_black.png"><span class="sr-only">Search National Ocean Service</span></button> </form> </div> </div>  <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-dark navbar-nos" role="navigation" aria-checked="false" > <a href="/welcome.html" class="navbar-brand" alt="Home page" aria-label="Home page"></a> <button class="navbar-toggler navbar-toggler-right" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarNavDropdown" aria-controls="navbarNavDropdown" aria-label="Toggle navigation" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span> </button> <div class="nav navbar-nav navbar-collapse justify-content-center navbar-toggleable-xm collapse" id="navbarNavDropdown"> <ul class="navbar-nav mx-auto" > <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link home" href="/" role="navigation">Home</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link facts" href="/facts/" role="navigation">Ocean Facts</a> </li> <li class="nav-item dropdown"> <a class="nav-link explore dropdown-toggle" href="#" id="navbarnos" data-toggle="dropdown" role="navigation" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">Topics</a> <div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="navbarnos"> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/topics/">Explore All Topics</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/arctic/">Arctic</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/profiles/">Careers</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/economy/">Economy</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/ecosystems/">Ecosystems</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/geodesy/">Geodesy</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/hazards/">Hazards</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/international/">International</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/navigation/">Navigation</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/observations/">Observations</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/ocean/">Ocean</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/recreation/">Recreation</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/hazards/sealevelrise/">Sea Level Rise</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/map-stories/">Story Maps</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/tools/">Tools</a> </div> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link education" href="/education/" role="navigation">Education</a> </li>  <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link posts" href="/news/" role="navigation">News</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link media-podcast" href="/podcast/" role="navigation">Podcasts</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link media-video" href="/video/" role="navigation">Video</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link media-images" href="/gallery/" role="navigation">Images</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link about" href="/about/" role="navigation">About Us</a> </li> </ul> </div> </nav>  </header>  </head> <body class="facts"> <nav aria-label="breadcrumb"> <ol class="breadcrumb jumbo-center"> <li class="breadcrumb-item"><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li class="breadcrumb-item"><a href="/facts/">Facts</a></li> <li class="breadcrumb-item active" aria-current="page">How is sea level rise related to climate change?</li> </ol> </nav> <div class="container"> <div class="pt-3"></div>  <h1 class="display-4 mb-0 pb-0"><strong>How is sea level rise related to climate change?</strong></h1> <div class="pt-4"></div> <h2 class="mt-0 pb-4 text-muted">A <strong>warming climate can cause seawater to expand and</strong> ice over land to <strong>melt</strong>, both of which can cause a rise in sea level.</h2> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-9"> <figure><img src="/facts/slr-climate.jpg" alt="A flooded road in LA" title="A flooded road in LA" class="figure-img img-fluid" /> <figcaption class="figure-caption"> <p><em>Californians living on the coast may be used to seeing so-called <a href="/facts/kingtide.html">King Tides</a> — a regular phenomenon where high tides are higher than normal on certain days of the year. Shown here: Embarcadero Waterfront in San Francisco, California. Image credit: Michael Filippoff</em> </p> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="pb-2"></div>  <p>Many people are interested in climate change and how a changing climate will affect the ocean. With the majority of Americans living in coastal states, rising water levels can have potentially large impacts. Global tidal records from 1900 to 1990 show an estimated <span class="d-inline-block" tabindex="0" data-toggle="tooltip" data-animation="true" title="" data-original-title="10 to 12.7 centimeters"><a href="#" style="pointer-events: none;" disabled="">four to five inch</a></span> rise in global mean sea level. Then, in the 25 years from 1990 to 2015, this global tide gauge network showed global sea level rising <span class="d-inline-block" tabindex="0" data-toggle="tooltip" data-animation="true" title="" data-original-title="7.6 centimeters"><a href="#" style="pointer-events: none;" disabled="">three inches</a></span>, agreeing with measures by satellite altimeters taken since 1992. Currently, sea level is rising about <span class="d-inline-block" tabindex="0" data-toggle="tooltip" data-animation="true" title="" data-original-title="3.2 millimeters"><a href="#" style="pointer-events: none;" disabled="">one-eighth of an inch</a></span> per year but is projected to rise in the future. By 2100, sea levels may rise another <span class="d-inline-block" tabindex="0" data-toggle="tooltip" data-animation="true" title="" data-original-title=".3 to 2.44 meters"><a href="#" style="pointer-events: none;" disabled="">one to eight feet</a></span>. <p>Sea level can rise by two different mechanisms with respect to climate change. First, as the oceans warm due to an increasing global temperature, seawater expands—taking up more space in the ocean basin and causing a rise in water level. The second mechanism is the melting of ice over land, which then adds water to the ocean. </p> <p><a href="https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/">Global sea level trends and relative sea level trends</a> are different measurements. Just as the surface of the Earth is not flat, the surface of the ocean is also not flat—in other words, the sea surface is not changing at the same rate globally. <a href="https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/sltrends.html">Sea level rise at specific locations</a> may be more or less than the global average due to many local factors: <a href="/facts/subsidence.html">subsidence</a>, upstream flood control, erosion, regional ocean <a href="/facts/current.html">currents</a>, variations in land height, and whether the land is still rebounding from the <a href="/facts/glacial-adjustment.html">compressive weight of Ice Age glaciers</a>.</p> <p>Sea level is primarily measured using <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-tech/reading-between-tides-200-years-measuring-global-sea-level">tide stations</a> and <a href="/facts/satellites-ocean.html">satellite laser altimeters</a>. Tide stations around the globe tell us what is happening at a local level—the height of the water as measured along the coast relative to a specific point on land. Satellite measurements provide us with the average height of the entire ocean. Taken together, these tools tell us how our ocean sea levels are changing over time.</p>  </div> <div class="pb-2"></div>  <div class="col-md-3">  <div class="card card-highlight mb-3 bg-light"> <div class="card-body p-3">  <div class="pt-2"></div> <h5 class="card-title">More <strong>Information</strong></h5> <p> <a href="https://www.climate.gov/"> <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-primary w-100">Climate.gov</button> </a> </p> <p> <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-primary w-100"> <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/" class="hover-white">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> </button> </p> <p> <a href="https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/index.shtml"> <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-primary w-100">Sea Levels Online</button></a> </p> <p> <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/explainers/tracking-sea-level-rise-and-fall"> <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-primary w-100">NOAA Explainer: Tracking sea level rise ... and fall </button> </a> </p>  <div class="pb-5"></div>  <div class="pt-2"></div> <h5 class="card-title"><a href="/socialmedia.html">Get <strong>Social</strong></a></h5> <div id="social"> <div class="col-12 py-2" id="social"> <h6 class="sr-only"> Social </h6> <p></p> <ul class="nav list-unstyled text-small justify-content-center"> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/noaaocean"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/icons/twitter-blue.png" alt="Twitter Logo" /> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/usoceangov/"><img class="d-inline align-middle pr-2" src="/bs4/img/icons/facebook-blue.png" alt="Facebook Logo" /> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/noaaocean/"><img class="d-inline align-middle pr-2" src="/bs4/img/icons/instagram-blue.png" alt="Instagram Logo" /> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/usoceangov"><img class="d-inline align-middle pr-2" src="/bs4/img/icons/youtube-blue.png" alt="Youtube Logo" /> </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/usoceangov"><img class="d-inline align-middle pr-2" src="/bs4/img/icons/flickr-blue.png" alt="Flickr Logo" /> </a></li> </ul> </div> </div>  <div class="pb-3"></div> </div> </div> <div class="pb-5"></div> <div class="card card-highlight mb-5"> <div class="card-body">  <h5 class="card-title"><strong>Last updated:</strong></h5> <h6 class="card-subtitle mb-2 text-muted"> 1/04/21 </h6> <p class="card-text"><strong>Author:</strong> NOAA</p> <p class="card-text"><a href="/about/faq.html">How to cite this article</a></p> <p class="card-text"><a href="/contact.html">Contact Us</a></p>  </div> </div> </div>  </div> </div>     <footer role="contentinfo"> <a href="#" id="scroll-to-top"><img src="/bs4/img/Scroll-To-Top_Icon@2x_b.png" alt="scroll to top arrow icon"></a> <div id="footer-social"> <div class="col-12 pt-3" style="background-color: #ccc;"> <h5 class="sr-only"> Feedback</h5> <ul class="nav list-unstyled text-small justify-content-center pb-3">  <li class="nav-item m-1"> <a href="/contact.html" class="btn btn-light btn-lg" role="button" aria-pressed="true">Contact Us</a></li> <li class="nav-item m-1"> <a href="/contact.html#feedback" class="btn btn-light btn-lg" role="button" aria-pressed="true">Report an error</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-12 pt-3" style="background-color: #ccc;"> <h5 class="sr-only"> Social</h5> <ul class="nav list-unstyled text-small justify-content-center pb-3"> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/noaaocean"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/x-black.png" alt="X Logo"/> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/usoceangov/"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/facebook-color.png" alt="Facebook Logo"/> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/noaaocean/"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/instagram-color.png" alt="Instagram Logo"> <//a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/usoceangov"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/youtube-color.png" alt="Youtube Logo"> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/noaa-national-ocean-service"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/linkedin-color.png" alt="LinkedIn Logo"> </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="footer-main"> <div class="container pt-5 pb-5"> <div class="row"> <div align="center" class="col-lg-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-12 pb-3"> <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/"><img src="/bootstrap/img/noaa_logo_circle_72x72.svg" alt="NOAA Logo" /></a> <p class="text-center pt-2"> <em>Science. Service.<br>Stewardship.</em> </p> </div> <div class="col-lg-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-12"> <h6 class="sr-only"> About NOS </h6> <ul class="list-unstyled text-small px-5"> <li><a href="/about/welcome.html">About Us</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/welcome.html">NOS Program Offices</a></li> <li><a href="/newsroom/welcome.html">Media Inquiries</a></li> <li><a href="/sitemap.html">Site Index</a></li> <li><a href="/disclaimer.html">Disclaimer</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-lg-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-12"> <h6 class="sr-only"> More Resources </h6> <ul class="list-unstyled text-small px-5"> <li><a href="https://www.noaa.gov/information-technology/foia">Freedom of Information Act</a></li> <li><a href="/accessibility-statement.html">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.noaa.gov/office-of-chief-information-officer/it-policy-oversight/information-quality">Information Quality</a></li> <li><a href="/privacy.html">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.usa.gov/">USA.gov</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="container pt-2"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-12"> <ul class="nav footer-mainnav"> <li class="nav-item m-3"> <a href="https://www.commerce.gov">Department of Commerce</a></li> <li class="nav-item m-3"> <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)</a></li> <li class="nav-item m-3"> <a href="/">National Ocean Service</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </footer>    <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var aid = "oceanservice.noaa.gov"; //]]> </script> <script src="https://search.usa.gov/javascripts/stats.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var usasearch_config = { siteHandle:"oceanservice.noaa.gov" }; var script = document.createElement("script"); script.type = "text/javascript"; script.src = "//search.usa.gov/javascripts/remote.loader.js"; document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(script); //]]> </script> <script> $(".jumbotron").css({ height: $(window).height() + "px" }); $(window).on("resize", function() { $(".jumbotron").css({ height: $(window).height() + "px" }); }); </script>  <script async type="text/javascript" src="https://dap.digitalgov.gov/Universal-Federated-Analytics-Min.js?agency=DOC&subagency=NOAA" id="_fed_an_ua_tag"></script>  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-8QRDKZKW09"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-8QRDKZKW09'); </script> <script src="/bs4/js/jquery-3.7.1.slim.min.js"></script> <script src="/bs4/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js"></script>  <script src="https://touchpoints.app.cloud.gov/touchpoints/3966cfca.js" async></script>   <script> // Initialize tooltip component $(function () { $('[data-toggle="tooltip"]').tooltip() }) // Initialize popover component $(function () { $('[data-toggle="popover"]').popover() }) </script> <script async src="https://siteimproveanalytics.com/js/siteanalyze_6294131.js"></script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

How is sea level rise related to climate change?