By Abbas Nazil
A new international scientific study has confirmed that global sea level rise has been steadily accelerating since 1960, according to findings published in Science Advances and based on analysis by an international team of climate researchers led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The research shows that sea levels are rising faster than previously understood, driven mainly by human-induced climate change.
The study found that global average sea level has increased by about 2.06 millimetres per year since 1960.
However, the rate of rise has significantly accelerated in recent decades, reaching about 3.94 millimetres per year between 2005 and 2023.
Researchers explained that this long-term increase is caused primarily by ocean warming, which leads to thermal expansion as seawater takes up more space when heated.
Ocean warming alone accounts for about 43 percent of the observed sea level rise over the study period.
The study also identified additional contributing factors, including melting glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, which have become increasingly significant in recent decades.
It further noted that changes in land water storage have also contributed to rising sea levels since 1960.
Scientists involved in the research said that previous gaps in understanding sea level rise have now been reduced due to improved observational systems and updated analytical methods.
These improvements include refined satellite measurements, better estimates of land movement at coastal monitoring stations and more accurate calculations of ice loss from polar regions.
The study highlighted that earlier inconsistencies between observed sea level rise and known contributing factors have now been largely resolved.
It added that advances in climate monitoring technology have made it possible to explain sea level changes with greater confidence than in previous decades.
Researchers also warned that sea level rise is expected to continue even if greenhouse gas emissions are stabilised, due to the long-term inertia of the oceans and ice systems.
They explained that deep ocean warming and ongoing ice sheet melt will continue to contribute to rising seas for centuries.
The findings also indicate that recent decades have seen a clear acceleration in the rate of sea level rise compared to earlier periods.
Scientists attribute this trend to increased global warming and faster melting of polar ice.
The study concluded that rising sea levels remain one of the most serious long-term consequences of climate change, posing risks to coastal communities, ecosystems and infrastructure worldwide.
It also emphasized that continued greenhouse gas emissions will likely intensify future sea level rise and its associated impacts.
