The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Although it may not be immediately obvious when we visit the beach, sea-level rise is affecting coastlines all over the world. For low-lying countries such as the Netherlands, sea-level rise and tidal surges are a constant threat. Our oceans are rising as a consequence of climate change. As the temperature of seawater increases it expands and the ice melting from ice sheets and glaciers adds more water to the global ocean. We know this because satellites high above our heads measure the temperature of the sea surface and of our changing ice.
While the global averaged trend is towards rising levels, there are many regional differences so that in some places it is rising and in other places it is falling. Satellites carrying altimeter instruments systematically measure the height of the sea surface so that sea-level rise can be closely monitored. Altimetry measurements over the last 25 years show that on average sea-level is rising about 3 mm a year and this rise is accelerating.