Global warming: Ocean levels will rise by 2ft by the end of century'

The rising sea levels are broadly attributed to two factors - warmer water expanding and from melting ice.

A recent study of satellite images has shown that the melting of massive ice sheets at the poles has quickened and the world's oceans on average will be at least 2 feet higher by the end of the century compared to today, said a report.

Global warming is the observed century-scale rise in the average temperature of the Earth's climate system and its related effects. Multiple scientific evidences show that the climate system is warming.

The research, based on 25 years of satellite data, shows that pace has quickened, mainly from the melting of massive ice sheets, said an Associated Press report.

The rising sea levels are broadly attributed to two factors - warmer water expanding and from melting ice. Since 1993, it has been observed that rising level of seas is more due to melting of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica than warmer water expanding.

Since 1979, the average temperature of the lower troposphere has increased between 0.12 and 0.135 °C per decade, satellite temperature measurements confirm. The temperatures have been relatively stable over the one or two thousand years before 1850, but in 20th century they rose and then accelerated due to global warming caused by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.

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