Sea Level

SOURCE DATA: 1900-2018

Data source: Frederikse et al. (2020) 
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/PO.DAAC
data graph

Sea level rise is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming: the added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers, and the expansion of seawater as it warms. The first graph tracks the change in global sea level since 1993, as observed by satellites.

The graph on the left, which is from coastal tide gauge and satellite data, shows how much sea level changed from about 1900 to 2018. Items with pluses (+) are factors that cause global sea level to increase, while minuses (-) are what cause sea level to decrease. These items are displayed at the time they were affecting sea level.

SATELLITE DATA: 1993-PRESENT

Data source: Satellite sea level observations.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
RISE SINCE 1993
99.5
millimeters

This graph tracks the change in sea level since 1993, as observed by satellites. The data shown are the latest available, with a four- to five-month delay needed for processing. (Source)

Note: You now need to create an Earthdata account to access NASA’s sea level data. Register here for free. Once logged in, click “HTTPS” under the “Satellite Data” chart on this page to access the data.