The key factors that directly contribute to sea level rise are:
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Melting of Land Ice: This includes glaciers and ice sheets, primarily in Greenland and Antarctica. As these ice masses melt, they contribute directly to the volume of water in the oceans.
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Thermal Expansion of Water: As global temperatures rise, ocean water warms and expands. This thermal expansion contributes to rising sea levels.
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Melting Sea Ice: While the melting of sea ice (such as Arctic sea ice) does not directly contribute to sea level rise, as it is already floating, it can lead to further warming of the oceans and additional melting of land ice, indirectly contributing to sea level rise.
Additional factors that influence sea level rise include:
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Changes in Water Storage on Land: This includes activities like groundwater extraction and changes in reservoir storage, which can also contribute to sea level changes.
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Ice Dynamics: The movement of ice sheets and glaciers, including calving events where chunks of ice break off and enter the ocean, can also affect sea levels.
In summary, the primary direct contributors to sea level rise are the melting of land ice and thermal expansion of seawater, while the melting of sea ice plays a more indirect role. Carbon dioxide and water vapor contribute to global warming, which can subsequently affect these processes.