U.S. space agency NASA on Thursday said that the global sea level in 2024 rose more than expected due to thermal expansion of seawater and melting ice sheets and glaciers.
Last year, the hottest on record, the annual rate of the rise was 5.9 millimeters, compared to the expected 4.3 millimeters, according to NASA analysis.
Overall, the rate of sea level rise doubled over 30 years, with the global sea level going up by 10 centimeters (3.94 inches) since the satellite record of ocean height started in 1993.
"The rise we saw in 2024 was higher than we expected," said Josh Willis, a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
"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."
In 2024, sea levels rose mostly due to thermal expansion, or ocean warming, flipping a trend that had seen melting glaciers and ice sheets being the biggest contributors to the rise.
"With 2024 as the warmest year on record, Earth's expanding oceans are following suit, reaching their highest levels in three decades," said NASA's Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer.
