The oceans have reached their highest levels in three decades, with the global sea level rise rate increasing by 35% higher than expected last year, according to a NASA-led analysis. The unexpected surge is concerning, particularly for coastal cities already experiencing more damaging flooding.
Global sea level rise serves as an important indicator of the Earth’s overall climate. Last year’s average global sea level rise was 0.23 inches per year, exceeding the predicted 0.17 inches per year. This rate follows a trend of rapidly increasing rates over the past 30 years, with the rate doubling from 0.08 inches to 0.18 inches.
Natural cycles, such as ocean warming and cooling, contribute to the variations in global sea level rise. However, recent years have seen an unusual amount of ocean warming, which led to more expansion and contributed to about two-thirds of sea level rise. The location of the warming also played a crucial role, with parts of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans experiencing above-average temperatures.
The extreme ocean warmth has been linked to rapidly intensifying hurricanes like Hurricane Milton in 2024. It can also be detrimental to marine ecosystems, including coral reef populations. Global sea levels are increasing quicker than expected, but local sea level rise is influenced by other factors such as land-sinking and differences in land height.
In some areas, flooding of roads and land has become more likely and dangerous, especially for communities of color. For instance, over a dozen tide gauges from Texas to North Carolina have shown that sea levels are at least 6 inches higher than they were nearly 15 years ago. This highlights the need for urgent action to address climate change and protect vulnerable coastal communities.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/03/14/sea-level-rise-unexpected-increase-2024-nasa