NASA Reports ‘Higher Than Expected’ Sea Level Rise In 2024

The US space agency, NASA, has announced that the rise in global sea level in 2024 exceeded expectations, with an increase of 0.59 cm (0.23 in), which is more than the forecasted 0.43 cm (0.17 in). As stated by NASA oceanographer Josh Willis, the ocean is rising at an increasing pace. This unforeseen increase is ascribed to the thermal expansion of seawater, which makes up two-thirds of the rise, instead of melting glaciers.

“The rise we saw in 2024 was higher than we expected,” said Josh Willis  a sea level researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Every year is a little bit different, but what’s clear is that the ocean continues to rise, and the rate of rise is getting faster and faster.”

In recent years, about two-thirds of the sea level rise was from the addition of water from land into the ocean by melting ice sheets and glaciers. About a third came from thermal expansion of seawater. But in 2024, those contributions flipped, with two-thirds of sea level rise coming from thermal expansion.

“With 2024 as the warmest year on record, Earth’s expanding oceans are following suit, reaching their highest levels in three decades,” said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, head of physical oceanography programs and the Integrated Earth System Observatory at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Since the ocean height satellite measurements started in 1993, the yearly sea level rise rate has more than doubled. Overall, worldwide sea level has risen by 4 inches (10 centimeters) since 1993.

The increasing ocean temperatures, driven by unprecedented atmospheric warmth, are leading to a quicker rise in sea levels. This swift transformation is causing marine heatwaves, harming fisheries, and reducing freshwater resources. Experts highlight that lowering greenhouse gas emissions is vital for alleviating these effects.