The rise of the sea by human effect began in 1863

Modern rates of sea level rise began to emerge in 1863 as the industrial age intensified, coinciding with evidence of ocean warming and glacial melting.

It is the conclusion of an international study that used a global database of sea level records spanning the past 2,000 years, and will help local and regional planners prepare for future sea level rise. The study appears in the journal Nature Communications.

Sea level rise is an important indicator of broader climate changes. By pinpointing the moment when modern rates of sea level rise emerged above natural variability, the researchers were able to signal the start of a significant period of climate change.

Examining global records, the researchers found that globally, the start of modern rates of sea level rise occurred in 1863, in line with the Industrial Revolution. At individual sites in the United States, modern rates emerged first in the Mid-Atlantic region in the mid-to-late 19th century, and later in Canada and Europe, emerging in the mid-20th century.

The study is especially timely given NOAA’s recently released report detailing the rapid acceleration of sea level rise off the coast of USA

“We can be virtually certain that the global rate of sea level rise between 1940 and 2000 was faster than all previous 60-year intervals during the last 2,000 years.”said Jennifer S. Walker, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “Having a deep understanding of sea level changes at specific sites over long time scales is imperative for regional and local planning and response to future sea level rise.”

Walker He noted that the statistical model the research team used could also be applied to more individual sites to better understand the processes driving sea level change on a global and regional scale.

“The fact that modern rates emerge across all of our study sites in the mid-20th century demonstrates the significant influence global sea level rise has had on our planet over the past century.”Walker added. “Further analysis of spatial variability at the time of emergence at different locations will continue to improve society’s understanding of how regional and local processes affect rates of sea level rise.”