With the Earth heating up and polar ice melting, the average sea level across the globe is increasing. While the precise heights of oceans differ based on local topography, long-term climate patterns, and the intricate interplay between fluids, gravity, and planetary rotation, scientists analyze sea level patterns by comparing measurements to a reference point that represents a 20-year average in space and time. These depictions employ the symbolic representation of a sunken porthole window to witness the extent of oceanic rise from 1993 to 2022.
Credits:
NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
Visualizer: Andrew J Christensen (SSAI) [Lead]
Technical support
- Ian Jones (ADNET)
- Laurence Schuler (ADNET)