Ajax wrote on Oct 4
th, 2013 at 9:57am:
Well currently sea levels are rising at about 2mm/years.
3.2 mm/year actually:GMSL Rates
CU: 3.2 ± 0.4 mm/yr
AVISO: 3.2 ± 0.6 mm/yr
CSIRO: 3.2 ± 0.4 mm/yr
NOAA: 3.2 ± 0.4 mm/yr (w/ GIA)
Quote:by 2100 sea levels will rise about 200mm (8") there is nothing alarming about this rate.........!!!!!
It depends on the emission scenario. Check the graph. THis projection doesn't include things like increased polar methane offgassing, so it could be significantly understated.
The range is 25cm to 1 metre for 2100 depending on emission scenario. From AR5 WG1:
Quote:Ocean thermal expansion and glacier mass loss are very likely the dominant contributors to global mean sea level rise during the 20th century.
It is very likely that warming of the ocean has contributed 0.8 [0.5 to 1.1] mm yr–1 of sea level change during 1971–2010, with the majority of the contribution coming from the upper 700 m.
Observations, combined with improved methods of analysis, indicate that the global glacier contribution (excluding the peripheral glaciers around Greenland and Antarctica) to sea level was 0.25 to 1.00 mm yr–1 sea level equivalent during 1971–2010.
The balance is made up from Greenland and West Antarctica. No net accumulation in Antarctica since 1979.
To answer your question, it's not linear. Greenland's rate of ice melt is expected to accelerate for one.