Sea level rise is an undeniable consequence of climate change and is a major concern for coastal communities worldwide. It is responsible for causing flooding, land loss and hazards from storms that threaten the health and well-being of millions of people each year. It also puts at risk the infrastructure that supports jobs and the economy in urban settings along coastlines such as roads, bridges, subways, oil and gas wells, water supply systems, power plants and landfills.
The oceans absorb about 90 percent of the excess heat from global warming, and as their temperature rises, the water expands—that’s why sea levels are rising faster now than they did in the past. In addition, melting glaciers and ice sheets are adding to the rise in sea level.
Throughout Earth’s history, sea levels have risen and fallen many times over the course of thousands of years. Temporary ups and downs in sea level are caused by things like daily tides, natural year-to-year fluctuations and the occasional big floods from passing storms.
But today, the rise in sea level is being driven largely by human activities such as burning fossil fuels that warm the planet. Eventually, without significant cuts in greenhouse gases, global temperatures will be too high to support the Earth’s natural ice and snow cover, resulting in a much higher sea level. At that point, large states and even countries across the globe could disappear under the sea.
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