NASA issues warning after sudden change in the ocean surprises scientists: 'Getting faster and faster'
An abrupt rise in global sea level last year has raised concerns. The increase was more than what scientists had been expecting, a NASA-led analysis revealed.
What's happening?
A higher-than-usual amount of ocean warming, along with meltwater from land-based ice, caused a jump in sea level that surprised scientists. The rate of rise in 2024 was 0.23 inches per year, more than the rate of 0.17 that forecasters had projected.
"The rise we saw in 2024 was higher than we expected," said Josh Willis, a sea level researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, per ABC News. "Every year is a little bit different, but what's clear is that the ocean continues to rise, and the rate of rise is getting faster and faster."
NASA blamed the rise mostly on the expansion of ocean water as it warms, a process known as thermal expansion. In recent years, approximately two-thirds of sea level rise resulted from land-based ice melt, while one-third was due to thermal expansion. However, in 2024, this trend reversed — thermal expansion accounted for two-thirds of the rise.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/nasa-issues-warning-after-sudden-change-in-the-ocean-surprises-scientists-getting-faster-and-faster/ar-AA1E53kl?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=3eab27ad8dc2409fb9cb08a1a3fe5b9b&ei=47
