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THE RATE OF GLOBAL SEA LEVEL RISE DOUBLED DURING THE PAST THREE DECADES

By B. D. HAMLINGTON, A. BELLAS-MANLEY, J. K. WILLIS, S. FOURNIER, N. VINOGRADOVA, R. S. NEREM, C. G. PIECUCH, P. R. THOMPSON AND R. KOPP
17 / 10 / 2024
Observation of the water level scale to prevent floods and disasters. Image credit: Evgen_Prozhyrko via iStock

The rise in globally averaged sea level—or global mean sea level—is one of the most unambiguous indicators of climate change. Over the past three decades, satellites have provided continuous, accurate measurements of sea level on near-global scales. Here, we show that since satellites began observing sea surface heights in 1993 until the end of 2023, global mean sea level has risen by 111 mm. In addition, the rate of global mean sea level rise over those three decades has increased from ~2.1 mm/year in 1993 to ~4.5 mm/year in 2023. If this trajectory of sea level rise continues over the next three decades, sea levels will increase by an additional 169 mm globally, comparable to mid-range sea level projections from the IPCC AR6.

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