A new NASA analysis reveals that global sea levels rose faster than predicted in 2024, with ocean water expanding as it warms being the main driver. The satellite data shows a 0.23-inch rise in sea level compared to the expected 0.17 inches for the year.
According to Josh Willis, a sea level researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, “The rise we saw in 2024 was higher than we expected.” This is due to an unusual amount of ocean warming combined with meltwater from land-based ice such as glaciers.
In recent years, about two-thirds of sea level rise has been attributed to melting ice sheets and glaciers. However, in 2024, this metric flipped, with two-thirds of the rise attributed to expanding ocean water and one-third coming from melting ice.
The rate of annual sea level rise has more than doubled since 1993, with sea levels rising at least 4 inches over that period. Climate research shows that human-amplified climate change is the primary cause for present-day rising sea levels.
NASA attributes the increase in sea levels to heat moving down from the ocean’s surface into cooler waters deeper into the sea. The massive movement of water during El Niño events can also result in vertical movement of heat throughout the ocean’s layers.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/global-sea-level-rose-faster-expected-2024-nasa/story?id=119795389