According to The Independent, global sea levels have risen by 1.5mm a year in the 7 years from 2003 to 2010 according to new data released by NASA. The increased sea levels are as a result of 1,000 cubic metres of ice being lost from the poles, mountains and other ice sheets and on top of already known rises caused by thermal expansion.
The data comes from a pair of satellites jointly operated by NASA and the German government.
John Wahr, professor of physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, who was part of the research team that analysed the satellite data commented:
“The Earth is losing an incredible amount of ice to the oceans annually, and these new results will help us to answer important questions in terms of both sea-level rise and how the planet’s cold regions are responding to global change.”
Large injections of fresh water are known to destabilise ocean currents including the North-Atlantic Conveyor leading some climate scientists to voice concerns over an increase of chaotic weather patterns.