NASA, the United States space agency, has disclosed that the global sea level rise in 2024 exceeded expectations, recording an increase of 0.59 cm (0.23 in), which is greater than the anticipated 0.43 cm (0.17 in). According to Josh Willis, an oceanographer at NASA, the ocean’s rise is accelerating. This unforeseen increase is primarily due to the thermal expansion of seawater, which now accounts for two-thirds of the rise, as opposed to the melting of glaciers. Josh Willis, a researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, stated, ‘The rise we observed in 2024 was beyond our predictions. Each year presents unique variations, but it is evident that the ocean is continuously rising, and the rate of this rise is increasing.’ In recent years, approximately two-thirds of the sea level rise was attributed to the influx of water from melting ice sheets and glaciers, while one-third was due to thermal expansion. However, in 2024, this trend reversed, with thermal expansion contributing to two-thirds of the sea level rise. Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, who leads physical oceanography programs at NASA Headquarters in Washington, noted that 2024 was the warmest year on record, resulting in the oceans expanding to their highest levels in thirty years. Since the commencement of satellite measurements of ocean height in 1993, the annual rate of sea level rise has more than doubled, with a total increase of 4 inches (10 centimeters) recorded since that time. The rising ocean temperatures, driven by unprecedented atmospheric heat, are accelerating sea level rise, which is also causing marine heatwaves, harming fisheries, and reducing freshwater availability. Experts stress the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to alleviate these effects.
