Global sea-level rise is accelerating at a faster rate each year

Global sea-levels are accelerating at a faster rate each year, according to researchers at the Technical University of Denmark. 

Even a small increase in global sea levels can have devastating effects on coastal habitats it can cause destructive erosion, wetland flooding, aquifer and agricultural soil contamination, and the loss of habitat for fish, birds, and plants.

Sea level rise may also leave hundreds of millions of people living in coastal communities with nowhere to live, forcing people to abandon their homes and move to another area.

Overall the world’s oceans are estimated to have risen by approximately 75mm since 1991.

However, how much the oceans are rising year upon year is up for debate amongst experts.

In order to assess annual sea level rise, the researchers used data from independent European satellites that are in orbit around the Earth.

According to their calculations, the average acceleration between 1991 and 2019 was 0.1mm more each year.

The lead author of the study, Tadea Veng compared her own results to calculations published by the IPCC based on US satellite data, according to these results, the average acceleration increases by 0.084mm per year.

Professor Ole Baltazar Anderson, the co-author of the study said: ‘In recent years, there has been a good deal of debate about the acceleration due to inaccuracies in the satellite measurements.

‘That’s why it’s important that we now have results using data from European satellites.

‘Acceleration is an important factor in modelling future sea-level rise.

‘Tadea has presented an important and very useful contribution to research and to the UN Climate Panel.’

In related news, researchers from the University of Glasgow, Scotland and Umeå University, Sweden have shown that climate change is disrupting the rhythms of spring river flooding across Europe which could consequently pose new problems for biodiversity and food security.

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