sea level changes
Tidal baseline shifts
Sea level changes are rises or falls in the average height of the ocean surface, measured relative to land.
These shifts occur over timescales from hours (tides) to millennia (ice ages).
In contemporary usage, the phrase typically refers to long-term trends driven by climate: Sea level changes threaten coastal cities worldwide.
Scientists distinguish between absolute sea level (ocean height relative to Earth's center) and relative sea level (measured against local land that may itself be rising or sinking).
- glacial meltingWarming-induced ice loss
- polar ice capsFrozen regions at Earth's extremes
- Milankovitch cyclesOrbital shifts affecting climate
- floodingOverwhelming water accumulation
- thermal expansionVolume increase from warming
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