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Global sea levels have been underestimated due to poor modelling, research suggests

 Sea levels around the world have been underestimated due to inaccurate
modelling, with research suggesting ocean levels are far higher than
previously understood. The finding could significantly affect assessments
of the future impacts of global heating and the effects on coastal
settlements.

Globally, the research found ocean levels are an average of
30cm higher than previously believed, but in some areas of the global
south, including south-east Asia and the Indo-Pacific, they may be
100-150cm higher than previously thought.

Rising sea levels are a major
threat to coastal communities across the world, and the UN
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that by 2100
levels may rise by 28-100cm. The latest research, published in Nature,
combined the analysis of 385 pieces of peer-reviewed scientific literature
released between 2009 and 2025 with calculations of the difference between
the commonly assumed and actual measured coastal sea levels.

The new
calculations reveal that following a relative sea level rise of 1 metre, it
is estimated that 37% more coastal areas will fall below sea level,
affecting up to 132 million individuals. “If sea level is higher for your
particular island or coastal city than was previously assumed, the impacts
from sea level rise will happen sooner than projected before,” said
Minderhoud.

 Guardian 4th March 2026, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/04/global-sea-levels-underestimated-poor-modelling-research

March 9, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change