--- description: Worldwide sea levels will rise by 50 to 130 centimeters by the end of the century unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced title: Oceans Rising at Fastest Rate in Almost 3,000 Years: Study image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf16fef25f4a7524d/69887e9df887dce149e94bb6/indonesia-sea-levels.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [climate](/tag/climate/) ## climate Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Oceans Are Rising at Fastest Rate in 3,000 Years, Study Says  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 23, 2016 1:40 PM CUT  A fisherman in flood waters from rising sea levels in Demak, Central Java, Indonesia, on Dec. 12, 2013. A fisherman in flood waters from rising sea levels in Demak, Central Java, Indonesia, on Dec. 12, 2013.Ulet Ifansasti—Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 23, 2016 1:40 PM CUT Worldwide [sea levels are rising at their fastest rate in almost 3,000 years](https://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/press-releases/sea-level-rise-past-and-future-robust-estimates-for-coastal-planners "undefined"), according to a new study, and are forecast to rise by up to 4ft by the end of the century unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. The study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research shows that sea levels have risen faster in the last century than they have at any other time in over two dozen centuries, the institute said on Tuesday. The authors of the study recommended adherence to the plan set out by the recent United Nations [climate summit in Paris](http://time.com/4123568/paris-climate-conference-preview/ "undefined") in order to minimize damage caused by rising sea levels, especially in coastal areas. But even with those changes, sea levels are still projected to rise between 8 inches and 2ft by 2100, according to the study.  “With all the greenhouse-gases we already emitted, we cannot stop the seas from rising altogether, but we can substantially limit the rate of the rise by ending the use of fossil fuels,” said Anders Levermann of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research who was a co-author of the study. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4233578/sea-level-ocean-climate-research/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4233578/sea-level-ocean-climate-research/"},"headline":"Oceans Are Rising at Fastest Rate in 3,000 Years, Study Says","datePublished":"2016-02-23T13:40:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:00:22.363Z","description":"Scientists attribute the rise to greenhouse gas emissions","url":"https://time.com/4233578/sea-level-ocean-climate-research/","keywords":["climate"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf16fef25f4a7524d/69887e9df887dce149e94bb6/indonesia-sea-levels.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf16fef25f4a7524d/69887e9df887dce149e94bb6/indonesia-sea-levels.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Coastal Villages Fear The Worst As Tides Continue To Rise","caption":"Coastal Villages Fear The Worst As Tides Continue To Rise","creditText":"Ulet Ifansasti—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/climate/","name":"climate"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4233578/sea-level-ocean-climate-research/","name":"Oceans Are Rising at Fastest Rate in 3,000 Years, Study Says"}}]}] ```