Wind, warm water revved up melting Antarctic glaciers

The flow speeds of Antarctica's fastest-accelerating glaciers in 2008-2014 likely increased because of warm water blown into their bay by La Niña and another climate pattern. Read more ›

NASA/UCI find evidence of sea level 'fingerprints'

For the first time, scientists have detected sea level "fingerprints" – patterns of variation in global sea level due to changes in water and ice on land – in GRACE data. Read more ›

NASA gets night-time and daytime look at a weaker wide Irma

Irma made landfall twice on Sept. 10, first in the Florida Keys and then near Naples. Satellites provided daytime and night-time views of the storm. Read more ›

Rising seas bring a rising nuisance: coastal flooding

A NASA geophysicist has found that sea level rise is triggering occurrences of minor nuisance flooding along coastlines. Full story ›

25 years of sea-level science

Satellites have given us a global picture of rising seas and ocean dynamics. Full story ›

Global Mean Sea Level

3.4

± 0.4
mm/yr
Ocean Mass

1.8

± 0.3
mm/yr
Steric Height

0.8

± 0.2
mm/yr
Greenland Ice Mass Change

286

± 21
Gt/yr
Antarctica Ice Mass Change

127

± 39
Gt/yr

Research and Resources

Data Search

Ocean

Ice

Land Hydrology

Solid Earth

Data Tools

Data Analysis Tool - Beta Version

Analyze NASA data with the Data Analysis Tool. Perform regional statistical analysis, time series analysis and comparison.
Virtual Earth System Laboratory

The Virtual Earth System Laboratory includes simulations related to glaciers, ice sheets, sea level and solid earth.

Understanding Sea Level

NASA keeps track of sea level change and its causes from space. Find out more about how NASA satellite observations help our understanding of this complex topic.

Causes

Observations

Projections

Adaptation

Learn more about why sea level is rising, the different causes, current and past rates.

Learn more about Causes

Understanding Sea Level

NASA keeps track of sea level change and its causes from space. Find out more about how NASA satellite observations help our understanding of this complex topic.

Causes

Learn more about why sea level is rising, the different causes, current and past rates.

Learn more about Causes ›

Observations

Learn more about how sea level is measured, the different types of observations, measurement techniques, and how data can be merged to form a long-term climate record.

Learn more about Observations ›

Projections

Learn more about how models forecast the future of sea level, and how different components contributing to sea level change are predicted to evolve over time.

Learn more about Projections ›