Seas rising faster than they have in 2,800 years, say scientists

Washington

A GROUP of scientists say they have reconstructed the history of the planet's sea levels arcing over some 3,000 years - leading them to conclude that the rate of increase experienced in the 20th century was "extremely likely" to have been faster than over nearly the entire period.

"We can say with 95 per cent probability that the 20th century rise was faster than any of the previous 27 centuries," said Bob Kopp, a climate scientist at Rutgers University who led the research with nine colleagues from several US and global universities. Prof Kopp said that it's not that seas rose faster before that - they probably didn't - but merely the ability to say as much with the same level of confidence declines.