Earth’s seas are rising, a direct result of a changing climate. Ocean temperatures are increasing, leading to ocean expansion. And as ice sheets and glaciers melt, they add more water. Over 90 percent of Earth’s ice mass is locked up in Greenland and Antarctica. As our greenhouse gas emissions warm the planet, those areas, along with glaciers worldwide, lose more ice, contributing to sea level rise.

Check out this time lapse video simulating sea ice and land ice melting in an aquarium and its effect on sea level rise.

To learn how to recreate it for yourself using common items at home, click here.

Learn more about sea level rise on the NASA Rising Seas page.

Video Production Credit: Valerie Casasanto and Ryan Fitzgibbons