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How does climate change contribute to rising sea levels?
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Climate change
A series of photographs of the Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould in Glacier National Park, Montana, in (from left) 1938, 1981, 1998, and 2006. In 1938 the Grinnell Glacier filled the entire area at the bottom of the image. By 2006 it had largely disappeared from this view.
Climate change contributes to rising sea levels primarily through two mechanisms: the melting of glaciers and ice sheets, and the thermal expansion of ocean water. As global temperatures increase due to greenhouse gas emissions, ice masses like those in Greenland, Antarctica, and mountain glaciers melt at accelerated rates, adding water to the oceans. Simultaneously, as the oceans absorb excess heat trapped by the atmosphere, the water itself expands, further increasing sea levels. This combined effect leads to a measurable rise in global mean sea level, posing significant risks to coastal communities and ecosystems worldwide.1234