original_query: What is the reason behind the increasing rates of rising sea levels?
query: What is the reason behind the increasing rates of rising sea levels in the context of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
answer: Rising sea levels are primarily caused by the melting of polar ice caps at an accelerated rate, a process initiated in the Arctic region, including Alaska.  This melting is due to increasing temperatures, thawing permafrost, and rising sea levels themselves, all indications of Arctic warming.