Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
10:28
Investigating the Relationship between Sea Surface Chlorophyll and Major Features of the South China Sea with Satellite Information
Published on: June 13, 2020
Climate change. How fast are sea levels rising?
1Antarctic CRC and CSIRO Marine Research, Tasmania 7000, Australia. john.church@marine.csiro.au
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|October 27, 2001
Summary
Global warming is causing sea level rise, but accurate measurement is challenging. Recent reassessment of observational data aligns better with climate models, though regional predictions remain uncertain.
Area of Science:
- Climate Science
- Oceanography
- Geophysics
Background:
- Global warming is unequivocally driving sea level rise.
- Accurate assessment of sea level rise rates presents significant challenges.
- Existing observational data and climate models have shown discrepancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reassess observational sea level data.
- To compare updated observational data with climate model estimates.
- To evaluate the confidence in regional sea-level change predictions.
Main Methods:
- Reassessment of historical and contemporary sea level observational data.
- Comparison of reassessed observational data with outputs from various climate models.
- Analysis of model agreement and disagreement in regional sea-level projections.
Main Results:
- Reassessed observational data show closer agreement with model estimates than previously found.
- Despite improved agreement, observational data remain limited in scope and coverage.
- Climate models exhibit significant disagreement in their regional sea-level projections.
Conclusions:
- Current observational data and climate models do not allow for confident prediction of regional sea-level changes.
- Further improvements in both data collection and modeling are necessary for accurate regional projections.
- Understanding regional variations in sea level rise is critical for adaptation strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:16What is Climate?
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
01:50Global Climate Change
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
02:55Temperature Dependence on Reaction Rate
The Collision Theory
Atoms, molecules, or ions must collide before they can react with each other. Atoms must be close together to form chemical bonds. This premise is the basis for a theory that explains many observations regarding chemical kinetics, including factors affecting reaction rates.
The collision theory is based on the postulates that (i) the reaction rate is proportional to the rate of reactant collisions, (ii) the reacting species collide in an orientation allowing contact between...
Atoms, molecules, or ions must collide before they can react with each other. Atoms must be close together to form chemical bonds. This premise is the basis for a theory that explains many observations regarding chemical kinetics, including factors affecting reaction rates.
The collision theory is based on the postulates that (i) the reaction rate is proportional to the rate of reactant collisions, (ii) the reacting species collide in an orientation allowing contact between...
01:18Variation of Atmospheric Pressure
Change in atmospheric pressure with height is particularly interesting. The decrease in atmospheric pressure with increasing altitude is due to the decreasing gravitational force per unit area as we move away from the surface of the earth.
Assuming the air temperature is constant at a given altitude and that the ideal gas law of thermodynamics describes the atmosphere to a good approximation, one can find the variation of atmospheric pressure with height.
Let p(y) be the atmospheric pressure at...
Assuming the air temperature is constant at a given altitude and that the ideal gas law of thermodynamics describes the atmosphere to a good approximation, one can find the variation of atmospheric pressure with height.
Let p(y) be the atmospheric pressure at...
01:21Rates of Change
The rate of change is a central concept in mathematics that quantifies how one variable varies in response to another. It serves as a foundational tool in modeling dynamic systems across disciplines such as physics, biology, economics, and engineering. Understanding both average and instantaneous rates of change enables the analysis of behavior in functions that describe real-world phenomena.Average Rate of ChangeFor a function f(x) defined over an interval [x1,x2], the average rate of change...
01:27Microbes and Climate Change
Microorganisms are pivotal agents in Earth's biogeochemical cycles, significantly influencing climate dynamics through their metabolic activities. These microbes modulate the levels of key greenhouse gases by both contributing to and helping mitigate climate change.Microbial Contributions to Greenhouse Gas EmissionsRising global temperatures accelerate microbial metabolism, which, in turn, speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. This process releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) through...