NASA: Global sea levels rise "unexpectedly" in 2024

NASA reported that global sea levels rose by 0.23 inches (0.59 cm) in 2024, exceeding the projected 0.17 inches.

A NASA-led analysis found that this increase was primarily driven by thermal expansion, a process where ocean water expands as it warms. This marks a shift from previous years when the majority of sea level rise was attributed to melting glaciers and ice sheets.

In 2024, however, two-thirds of the increase came from thermal expansion, highlighting the impact of record-breaking global temperatures.

According to NASA, 2024 was the warmest year on record, with Earth’s average surface temperature reaching 1.28°C (2.3°F) above the agency’s 20th-century baseline. As a result, ocean levels have now reached their highest point in three decades.

Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, director of physical oceanography programs at NASA, emphasized the connection between rising global temperatures and increasing sea levels, stating that the ocean is responding to the planet’s warming.

Josh Willis, a sea level researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, warned that the pace of sea level rise is accelerating. “The rise we saw in 2024 was higher than we expected,” he said.

“The ocean continues to rise, and the rate is getting faster and faster.” This trend underscores growing concerns about the long-term impacts of climate change on coastal communities and global ecosystems.

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