Sea level

Sea level is affected on a global scale by many factors, including volume change of a body of water at changing temperatures; exchange of body of water with (melting) ice sheets and glaciers on land; changing storage of water on land (both surface water and groundwater).A temperature increase (e.g. under the influence of greenhouse gas emissions of human origin) can lead to expansion of sea water and melting of the ice sheets, leading to an increase in sea level and greater risk of flooding in lower-lying areas. Depletion of groundwater resources (under the influence of rising temperatures) also contributes to sea level rise because pumped up and used groundwater ultimately flows largely to the sea.