NASA Data Reveals Sea Levels are Rising--And Fast

Sea levels may be rising-and fast. New NASA research reveals that sea levels are rising far faster than anyone expected.

In 2013, a UN panel predicted that sea levels would rise from between .3 and .9 meters by the end of the century. New research, though, reveals that sea level rise would probably be at the high end of that. More specifically, new NASA research shows that sea levels worldwide have risen an average of nearly three inches since 1992 due to warming waters and melting ice.

"Given what we know now about how the ocean expands as it warms, and how ice sheets and glaciers are adding more water to the seas, it's pretty certain we are locked into at least 3 feet of sea level rise, and probably more," said R. Steven Nerem, a University of Colorado Arctic specialist, in a televised briefing on Wednesday, according to SF Gate. "But we don't know whether it will happen with a century or somewhat longer."

The NASA scientists attribute about one third of global sea level rise to warming oceans, melting ice sheets and shrinking glaciers. But they warn that if the ice sheets begin to disappear more rapidly, the ratio could change and accelerate sea level rise in the future.

"The data shows that sea level is rising faster than it was 50 years ago, and it's very likely to get worse in the future," said Nerem, according to the Washington Post.

Greenland has lost an average of 303 gigatons of ice yearly for the past decade, according to NASA. Since it takes 360 gigatons to raise the sea level by about a millimeter, this means that Greenland has done this about eight times over just the past 10 years.

The findings reveal that sea levels are a growing issue. As they rise, it's important for coastal communities to take steps to prevent against flooding during storms.

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