The rise in sea-levels is linked to two primary factors, both induced by global warming.
Thermal expansion:
The oceans are absorbing more than 90% of the increased atmospheric heat associated with greenhouse gas emissions. When water heats up, it expands. The ocean water expands to fill a greater volume and takes up more space. This is called thermal expansion, and it is responsible for one-third of the sea-level rise, according to studies.
Melting of glaciers and ice caps:
Warmer temperatures cause land-based ice such as glaciers and ice sheets to melt, and the meltwater flows into the ocean to increase sea level. Melting ice causes about two-thirds of the rise in sea level.
If all the ice in glaciers and sheets melt then the sea level would rise by 216 feet. That could cause some countries to disappear under the oceans. That’s a scenario scientists think would probably take many centuries, but it could eventually happen if the world keeps burning fossil fuels indiscriminately.
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