Table SPM-1. (WGI) Observed rate of sea level rise and estimated contributions from different sources.
| Source of sea level rise |
Rate of sea level rise
(mm per year) |
| 1961 – 2003 |
1993 – 2003 |
Table note:
a Data prior to 1993 are from tide gauges and after 1993 are from satellite altimetry.
|
| Thermal expansion |
0.42 ± 0.12 |
1.6 ± 0.5 |
| Glaciers and ice caps |
0.50 ± 0.18 |
0.77 ± 0.22 |
| Greenland ice sheet |
0.05 ± 0.12 |
0.21 ± 0.07 |
| Antarctic ice sheet |
0.14 ± 0.41 |
0.21 ± 0.35 |
| Sum of individual climate contributions to sea level rise |
1.1 ± 0.5 |
2.8 ± 0.7 |
| Observed total sea level rise |
1.8 ± 0.5a |
3.1 ± 0.7a |
Difference
(Observed minus sum of estimated climate contributions) |
0.7 ± 0.7 |
0.3 ± 1.0 |
Source: IPCC Climate Change 2007: 
The Physical Science Basis, Summary for Policymakers (2007), p7
