Update on global sea level rise

Global sea level continues to rise at an average of 3.4 mm per year, according to the University of Colorado Sea Level Research Group.
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2017/590x421_02011718_sl_ns_global.png"/>

Most of the rise in sea level is due to melting glaciers and the expansion of sea water due to the warming of the oceans.

Sea level rise is not uniform across the globe as you can see by the image below. There are even some small regions where sea level has been falling (light green), but that is clearly the exception rather than the rule.

Image courtesy the University of Colorado.
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2017/590x491_02011726_ssha_trend_map_spe.png"/>

The EPA map below shows the relative sea level change along the U.S. coasts from 1960-2015.
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2017/590x676_02011732_sea-level-download2-2016.png"/>

As you can see, the greatest rises are occurring along the Gulf and Middle Atlantic coastal areas.

The next image from the EPA shows the increasing frequency of flooding along the U.S. coasts by comparing what happened in the 1950's to what we have seen between 2010 and 2015.
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2017/590x626_02011735_coastal-flooding-download1-2016.png"/>