Question

Satellite data show that the rate of global sea level rise since 1993 is on average about:

A) 0.5 inches/year.
B) 0.3 feet/year.
C) 3 millimeters/year.
D) 0.3 meters/year.
E) 0.006 kilometers/year.

Answer 1

Actually the answer is 0.06 inches per year

Answer 2

The average rate of global sea level rise since 1993 is 3 millimeters per year, mainly due to melting ice and thermal expansion of the ocean water caused by climate change. The correct option is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

Satellite measurements have documented this trend, and the observed increases are primarily due to the melting of ice and the thermal expansion of seawater as global temperatures rise. In fact, the rate of increase has escalated to between 0.28 to 0.36 centimeters per year (approximately 2.8 to 3.6 millimeters/year) since 1993. It is important to note that the overall volume of water on Earth remains constant, but its distribution is shifting, which results in higher sea levels.

Several factors contribute to rising sea levels, including the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, as well as thermal expansion of the ocean water as it warms. Both processes are linked to climate change. The melting of land ice, in particular, contributes to sea level rise because it transfers water from being stored on land in the form of ice to the ocean, increasing sea level. Although sea ice melting does not directly contribute to sea level rise, the melting of glaciers and ice caps does.

Hence, Option C is correct.