Sea Level Rise Estimate Calculator
Project sea level rise over a given period using thermal expansion rate and ice melt contributions.
mm/year
mm/year
years
Projected Rise
180.0 mm
Projected Rise18.00 cm
Projected Rise7.09 inches
Projected Rise vs Projection Period
Estimating Sea Level Rise
Sea level rise comes from two main sources: thermal expansion of warming ocean water and meltwater from glaciers and ice sheets.
Formula
Total Rise (mm) = (Thermal Rate + Ice Melt Rate) x Years
Current observations show about 3.6 mm/year of total rise, with the rate accelerating. Thermal expansion accounts for roughly 40% and ice melt for 60%.
Example Calculation
Thermal expansion adds 1.4 mm/year and ice melt adds 2.2 mm/year. Project 50 years forward.
- 01Total rate = 1.4 + 2.2 = 3.6 mm/year
- 02Rise over 50 years = 3.6 x 50 = 180 mm
- 03In centimeters: 180 / 10 = 18 cm
- 04In inches: 180 / 25.4 = 7.09 inches