How much is the sea level rising?
Since 1900, sea levels have already risen worldwide by some 16 centimeters on average, increasing by about 9 centimeters alone since global satellite measurements began in 1993. Since 2006, the rate of sea-level rise has come to around 3.6 millimeters annually (i.e., approximately 3.6 centimeters per decade), more than twice as much as before. Behind this acceleration is the melting of the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, which is proceeding at ever faster rates.¹
However, water levels on the world’s coasts are not rising at the same rate everywhere; we are seeing regional variations of up to plus or minus 30 percent. Causes include various ocean currents, land subsidence due to heavy groundwater extraction in specific areas, and slow land rebound that is still ongoing after the end of the last ice age.²
¹ IPCC 2018, SROCC, SPM, A.3.1 und A.3.2 – https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/summary-for-policymakers/; https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/
² IPCC 2018, SROCC, SPM, A.3.4 und Kapitel 4.2.2.3 – https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/, http://sealevel.colorado.edu/faq
