Large-scale groundwater extraction for irrigation, drinking water or industry has resulted in an annual rise in sea levels of approximately 0.8mm - this works out at one quarter of total annual sea-level rise (3.1mm). The remaining total can be attributed to thermal expansion (50%) and run off from glaciers and ice caps (25% approx.)...
Discussing the quantity of groundwater ending up in the sea, researcher Marc Bierkens, says: "This is surprisingly large when compared to the current annual rise in sea levels, which the IPCC estimates at 3.1 mm.
"Although the role of groundwater depletion in rising sea levels had already been acknowledged, it was not addressed in the most recent IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] report due to a lack of reliable data to illustrate the severity of the situation. Our study confirms that groundwater depletion is, in fact, a significant factor."
