Misleading Claims About Sea Level in Oslo, Norway
A video shared on Facebook claims that sea levels are decreasing in Oslo, Norway, citing an authentic graph by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Sea levels in the area are actually rising, albeit not as fast as the land due to a local geological process called glacial isostatic adjustment.
The process of glacial isostatic adjustment is causing the land to rise by about 20 inches per century in
Norway
, outpacing the sea level rise, which has been around 8 inches over the last hundred years.
The implication that global sea level rise is not happening due to the falling relative sea level in Oslo is incorrect.
Global sea levels are indeed rising, according to the NOAA.
Even in Oslo, when glacial isostatic adjustment is taken into account, sea levels are rising due to man-made climate change.
Local sea level records are different from the global average because of different processes that come into play, such as glacial isostatic adjustment.
Global sea levels have risen an estimated 21 to 24 centimeters since 1880 and continue to accelerate.
Misleading claims about sea level rise using selective data from specific locations can create confusion and hinder efforts to combat
climate change.
MORE STORIES