Reconstruction of Sea-level Rise Sources Closes the “Sea-level Budget”

Nature, August 19

For the first time, researchers have been able to close the “sea-level budget” (relative sources of sea-level rise), gaining new insights on the drivers of observed global mean sea-level rise over the past century. By re-examining the contributions of glaciers, ice sheets, thermal expansion, and land water storage, this study was able to match those with tide gauge measurements around the world. For most of the 20^th century glaciers remained the largest contributor to sea-level rise. With rising ocean temperatures, thermal expansion took over in the 1970s. Since 1993, accelerated mass loss from the ice sheets and glaciers has increased the proportion of both.  Today, continued melting of glaciers and accelerating ice sheet loss and thermal expansion are roughly equal, and the rate of sea-level rise is growing by an additional ~3.35 mm per year.

Compiled by Amy Imdieke.