ClimaLens — Sea Surface Temperature, Polar Ice & Ocean Currents

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Sea Level Global · 1993 – present · Satellite Altimetry

Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) from merged satellite altimetry. Click a coastal city to see local rates, causes, and context.
Note: Eustatic sea level refers to the global, absolute change in ocean volume (ice melt, thermal expansion), affecting the whole planet uniformly.
Relative sea level is the height of the sea compared to the land, which changes due to both eustatic changes and vertical land movement (subsidence or uplift).

Current rate

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1993—

The ocean is currently rising at nearly double the rate of the 20th century. Since 1993, the global average has climbed by more than 10 cm, the fastest sustained rise in the satellite record.

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Markers Sea level risk + Land cover signal

Land cover · zoom ≥ 10 Water Wetland Mangrove Cropland Built-up Forest

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Click a marker to explore local sea level data

Local rates: IPCC AR6 WG1 Ch.9 · PSMSL tide gauge records · Subsidence literature

Sea Surface Temperature Global · 2003 – present · GHRSST

Note: Frozen ocean surfaces are shown in grey.

Current anomaly

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1950—

Global ocean surface temperatures have been warming consistently since the mid-20th century, crossing the 1981–2010 average in the 1990s and accelerating sharply after 2015.

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−2°C

35°C

Map tiles · NASA GIBS / GHRSST MUR L4 · PODAAC/JPL · Point values · Open-Meteo Marine API / ERA5

Curious about the weather along the coast? Check the local forecast for any city.

See weather forecast →

Polar Ice Coverage 1979 – present · NSIDC Sea Ice Index

Arctic minimum (September) and Antarctic maximum (February) sea ice extent. Dashed line marks the 1981–2010 WMO baseline. Bars below the line indicate below-average ice coverage.
Note: The black hole in the polar regions represents areas where ice data is unavailable due to Satellite Data Gap. Basically, most polar-orbiting satellites do not fly directly over the 90° North or South poles. Those parts are often called Zone of Silence.

Arctic — September Minimum

Sea ice extent · million km²

Above baseline

Below baseline

Baseline

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Orange line = 1981–2010 median extent · Live: Copernicus Marine OSI-SAF AMSR2 · Historical: NASA GIBS SSMIS · Basemap: BlueMarble

Antarctic — February Maximum

Sea ice extent · million km²

Above baseline

Below baseline

Baseline

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Orange line = 1981–2010 median extent · Live: Copernicus Marine OSI-SAF AMSR2 · Historical: NASA GIBS SSMIS · Basemap: BlueMarble

Source: NSIDC Sea Ice Index v4.0 (G02135) · Fetterer et al. 2017, updated yearly · NSIDC, Boulder CO

Ocean Currents Live · Geostrophic Surface Velocity

Hover over any ocean region to identify the current.

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Colour by

Warm Cold

Particle colour = speed · CMEMS Copernicus Marine · SSH-derived geostrophic surface velocity · ~1-day lag · Paths: NOAA, GEBCO, Tomczak & Godfrey (2003)

Paleocoastlines Last 100,000 Years · ETOPO 2022 · 0.25°

Global coastlines as they appeared during the last glacial cycle. At the Last Glacial Maximum (~20,000 years ago) sea level was 120–130 m lower — exposing the Bering land bridge between Asia and North America, Sundaland in Southeast Asia, and the floor of the North Sea as dry land. Sandy areas show continental shelf that was above water at the selected time. Ice sheets show grounded and floating glacial ice; Arctic Ocean sea ice is not included in the reconstruction.

Choose resolution

Coastlines are rendered in your browser from a global elevation grid (ETOPO 2022). Higher resolution shows more coastal detail but requires a larger download.