Title: The Water Cycle and Climate Change | UCAR Center for Science Education
Headings: The Water Cycle and Climate Change
The Water Cycle and Climate Change
Climate change affects evaporation and precipitation.
Changing climate means changing weather.
Clouds affect the climate and climate affects the clouds.
Worldwide, sea level is rising because of climate change.
Ocean water is warming and growing acidic.
Sea ice is shrinking, causing more warming.

Content: Global sea level rise since 1990 as measured from satellites
Credit: NASA
There are two ways that our warming climate is causing sea level rise. First, water from melting glaciers and ice sheets flows down rivers and is added to the ocean. Over the past 100 years mountain glaciers, Arctic glaciers, and Greenland’s ice have decreased dramatically in size. With less ice trapped on land in glaciers and ice sheets, there is more water in the ocean, and sea level is higher. Melting ice that is already in the ocean, like sea ice, does not cause sea level rise. Second, ocean water expands as it warms, increasing its volume, so the water in the ocean takes up more space and sea level is higher. Since 1955, more than 90% of the excess heat held in the atmosphere by heat-trapping gases has made its way into the ocean. If this didn’t happen, climate warming would be much more dramatic. But because the heat is added to the ocean, and because ocean water expands with heat, sea level rises, flooding coasts.