IPCC Projections of 2100 Sea-level Rise May Be Too Conservative

Ocean Science, February 2
Ice sheets and oceans take centuries to fully respond to changes in greenhouse gas concentrations and atmospheric temperatures, and the amount of sea level rise that will take place by 2100 is only the beginning of this response, which will take place over many centuries.  New models that correlate average global surface temperatures from 1850 to 2017 with the rate of observed global sea level rise produce more accurate measurements.  Going forward, and using this method for future projections suggests that the maximum projected global sea level rise of 1.1 meters in recent IPCC reports is an underestimate, and the maximum level may well be higher, even not taking into account abrupt processes such as potential collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS).

https://os.copernicus.org/articles/17/181/2021/

Compiled by Amy Imdieke.
Pam Pearson

Recent Posts

COP31 Cryosphere Pavilion: Call for Side Events and ECS Volunteers

Dear Friends of the Cryosphere Pavilion and Cryosphere Capsule Readers! We are happy to announce…

1 week ago

Extreme Sea-Level Rise Could Lead to Large-Scale Coastal Relocation in the United Kingdom

Nature Communications, 21 July 2026 Rising sea levels driven by ocean warming and ice sheet…

1 week ago

East Antarctic Ice Shelf Melt Driven by Warm Surface Ocean Waters

Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 26 June 2026 East Antarctica has long been considered less…

1 week ago

Increasing Decline in Antarctic Bottom Water Volume Since 2000s

Geophysical Research Letters, 9 July 2026 Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is the cold, dense water…

1 week ago

Record-Low Arctic Winter Sea Ice in 2025 and 2026 Signals Continued Decline

PNAS, 20 July 2026 After several years in the early 2020s when Arctic winter sea…

1 week ago

AMOC Weakening and Permafrost Thaw During Overshoot of the 1.5°C Paris Limit

Nature Communications, 16 July 2026 Temporarily exceeding global warming targets increases the risk of long-lasting…

1 week ago