Ice loss from Antarctica and Greenland has accelerated over the last 20 years, research shows, and will soon become the biggest driver of sea level rise.
From satellite data and climate models, scientists calculate that the two polar ice sheets are losing enough ice to raise sea levels by 1.3mm each year.
Overall, sea levels are rising by about 3mm (0.12 inches) per year.
Writing in Geophysical Research Letters, the team says ice loss here is speeding up faster than models predict.
“That ice sheets will dominate future sea level rise is not surprising – they hold a lot more ice mass than mountain glaciers,” said lead author Eric Rignot from Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.
Europe’s Evisat satellite shows sea level lower now than when it started making measurements in 2003. A few days ago NASA released a report that sea level was falling.
http://www.aviso.oceanobs.com/
h/t to martin
It is going to be a tough race as the pack is full of thoroughbreds with lots of training and practice. The NASA sub teams are doing their parts and putting on a good show. It seems as if the various NASA teems are competing against one another as well as the rest of the pack just as the various NOAA teams are also doing rather than showing strength by combining their efforts and playing as one team. Probably has something to do with funding, The scariest proposals receive the most money.
actually, with all the extra co2 in the atmosphere, its weight is compressing the oceans, thus they had to add that isostatic (?) adjustment to make sea levels rise, but failed to add in enough. More Hansen adjustments are needed…
But, in all seriousness, it begs the question, if sea levels are falling (and this is a short timeframe we are looking at)…water has to go somewhere…..ice? Snow? I’m sure the Hoover damn can’t hold that much.
Want to know where the water is? Check out the short videoclip at the upper left of the webpage. If you’re really into it, follow the “Toucan Equations” in the FAQ section.
You’ll have to go to colderside to do it!