VIENNA (AP) — Austrian experts say melting glaciers have been
the single greatest cause of rising sea level over the past
century. Scientists at the respected University of Innsbruck say
that between 1902 and 2007, glaciers contributed 11 centimeters
(4.33 inches) to a total sea level rise of about 20 centimeters
(nearly 8 inches). They also said Wednesday that by 2100,
melting glaciers could raise sea levels by another 22
centimeters. Sea water that expands as it warms, melting ice
sheets and changing water storage in dammed lakes and underwater
reservoirs are also said to have contributed to rising sea
levels. The scientists say glacier melts were tracked by
numerically modeling each of the world's roughly 300,000
glaciers and then performing thousands of on-site measurements
to validate the model results.