Sea Level Rise: Rapid Ice Shelf Melting

Below, some alarming facts about the increasingly rapid rate of ice shelf melting. 

• Sea level has risen four to 10 inches this past century and is projected to rise up to three feet by 2100. 

• For every foot of sea level rise, we can expect about 100 feet of coastal flooding. 

• As much as 33% of coastal land and wetland habitats are likely to be lost in the next hundred years if the level of the ocean continues to rise at its present rate. (Source) 

• Sea level has risen by more than two millimeters per year on average since the late 19th century, the steepest rate for more than 2,100 years. (Source)

• The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing mass at an accelerating pace. The findings of a NASA-funded satellite study indicate that these ice sheets are overtaking ice loss from Earth's mountain glaciers and ice caps to become the dominant contributor to global sea level rise -- much sooner than model forecasts have predicted. (Source) 

More on the Threat of Sea Level Rise:

Sea Level Rise: Most Threatened Cities

Sea Level Rise: Facts, By the Numbers

Sea Level Rise: At-Risk Populations