Seas are rising, and the pace is quickening. 🌊
Sea levels around the globe have risen 10.1 centimeters (about 3.98 inches) on average, according to 30 years of satellite data. That's like covering the contiguous U.S. in about 16 feet (about 5 meters) of water. Recent rates have been unprecedented over the past 2,500-plus years.
📈This line graph shows an overall rise in sea levels. Highs and lows each year are caused by the exchange of water – like through rain and snow – between land and sea.
🌎The globe shows how the rate of sea level rise varies in different areas, with some parts of the ocean rising faster (shown in red and orange) than the global rate. Many of the changes from the average reflect long-term shifts in ocean currents and heat distribution, such as El Niño and La Niña events.
NASA and its partner agencies have been monitoring sea levels from space for thirty years, starting with the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite that launched in 1992. Since then, five satellite missions with similar instruments have continued measuring sea level from orbit. Together, these missions provide a standardized record of ocean surface heights that is sensitive enough to detect global and regional sea level changes. 🛰
VIDEO DESCRIPTION (click the link for the video):
An animated line graph of sea level change seen from space. The line shows fluctuations, but overall about 10 centimeters of rise since 1992. Behind the graph, a rotating globe shows where sea levels are rising.
Comentarios