Global sea level rose faster than expected in 2024, according to NASA analysis

By Julia Jacobo – abc News

Climate change was a major driver to an unexpected level of sea level rise in 2024, according to a new NASA analysis.

Global sea levels rose 0.23 inches in 2024, satellite records show, compared to the predicted 0.17 inches expected for the year.

“The rise we saw in 2024 was higher than we expected,” said Josh Willis, a sea level researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a statement. “Every year is a little bit different, but what’s clear is that the ocean continues to rise, and the rate of rise is getting faster and faster.”