As temperatures have increased, the sea level’s rise has accelerated from one centimeter per decade in the early twentieth century to more than three centimeters in each of the last two decades – an overall increase of nearly 20 centimeters since 1900. While the numbers may seem small, the rise significantly increases the likelihood of severe flooding along vulnerable coasts worldwide.
首先，格陵兰的冰川融水流入海洋导致全球海平面升高。随着温度不断变暖，海平面从二十世纪早期的每十年升高一厘米攀升到近二十年来的每十年升高三厘米，从1900年算起总共升高了近二十厘米之多。尽管这些数字看似微不足道，但海平面的升高令全球面临威胁的海岸发生严重洪涝灾害的可能性明显增高。