Rising seas: a threat

Over the last three decades, sea-level has risen about 3.2 mm on average a year. More alarmingly, the rate of rise has been accelerating over the last few years. It is now rising at 4.8 mm a year. Thermal expansion is the biggest cause of sea-level rise as a consequence of climate change. Ice loss from the continental glaciers and from the polar ice sheets is also one of the most critical drivers of our rising seas. Ice loss from glaciers, Greenland and Antarctica accounts for about 45% of sea-level rise. Another cause is discharge from waterbodies on land, but how much this contributes to sea-level rise is more uncertain.