Climate change causes fastest global sea-level rise in three millennia

Associated Press : Sea levels during the 20th century rose several times faster than at any other time over the past 2800 years, according to two studies published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers determined the rise and fall of sea level over the past three millennia by traveling to coastal areas and finding clues such as coral, sediments, and the presence of lead and certain atomic isotopes. Until the industrial age, the scientists say, the fastest sea levels rose was 3–4 cm per century. However, the increased burning of fossil fuels during the 20th century caused a rise in global temperature and a concomitant rise in sea level of 14 cm. If greenhouse gas pollution continues unabated in the current century, sea levels could rise by 57–131 cm, which would cause increased flooding and other problems.