Global sea levels rose 0.23 inches (0.59 centimeters) in 2024, surpassing the expected 0.17 inches, according to NASA. A NASA-led analysis published Thursday found that thermal expansion, the process of ocean water expanding as it warms, played a big role in the “unexpected” rise.

Global sea level rose faster than expected in 2024, mostly because of ocean water expanding as it warms, or thermal expansion. According to a NASA-led analysis, last year's rate of rise was 0.23 inches (0.

Earth’s oceans rose faster than expected last year as the world experienced its hottest year on record, NASA says.

Global sea levels rose faster than predicted in 2024, with NASA reporting a rate of 0.23 inches (0.59 cm) per year, compared to the expected 0.17 inches (0.43 cm) per year. The primary cause was found to be thermal expansion,

Communities in coastal areas such as Florida, shown in this 1992 NASA image, are vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise, including

Global sea levels rose more than expected in 2024, Earth's hottest year on record, according to an analysis released Thursday by the US space agency NASA.

Sea levels rose even higher than anticipated last year, according to an analysis by NASA. Last year was the hottest on record for the planet — largely due to human-caused climate change — leading to a sea-level rise of nearly 0.