Rate of Global Sea-level Rise has Doubled Over the Past 30 Years

Communications Earth & Environment, 17 October 2024

Satellite observations show that the average rate of sea-level rise worldwide has doubled during the past three decades, due to warming causing expansion of the ocean and increasing ice losses from the cryosphere (glaciers, ice sheets). In the period between 1993 and 2024, global sea levels rose by over 11 cm, with annual rates growing from 2.1 mm/year in 1993, to 4.5 mm/year in 2023. If that current trajectory simply continues, sea-level rise will increase to 5.0 mm/year by 2030, 5.8 mm/year by 2040 and 6.5 mm/year by 2050. This means that sea-levels would rise by a further 17 cm globally over the next three decades, just following current trends. Earlier studies have found that 7mm per year may well be beyond limits of adaptation for many coastal communities, and endanger efforts for nature-based coastal solutions.

Full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01761-5