--- title: Ocean Rising at Fastest Rate in 28 Centuries, Study Says description: Worldwide sea levels will rise by 50 to 130 centimeters by the end of the century unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced canonical: https://time.com/4233578/sea-level-ocean-climate-research/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-23T13:40:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:00:22.363Z article:section: Science og:title: Oceans Rising at Fastest Rate in Almost 3,000 Years: Study og:description: Scientists attribute the rise to greenhouse gas emissions og:url: https://time.com/4233578/sea-level-ocean-climate-research/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf16fef25f4a7524d/69887e9df887dce149e94bb6/indonesia-sea-levels.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Coastal Villages Fear The Worst As Tides Continue To Rise og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Oceans Rising at Fastest Rate in Almost 3,000 Years: Study twitter:description: Scientists attribute the rise to greenhouse gas emissions twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf16fef25f4a7524d/69887e9df887dce149e94bb6/indonesia-sea-levels.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Oceans Are Rising at Fastest Rate in 3,000 Years, Study Says > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=5e1b3518-b3b1-4b2c-ab19-5485ed114862&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Friday (1x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 40,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 34.2% | TIME, August 2026 | | Click rate | 2.1% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Justin Worland, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Senior leaders shaping the climate transition. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Feb 23, 2016 1:40 PM UTC  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](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Feb 23, 2016 1:40 PM UTC 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), 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/) 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"}}]}] ```