How much will sea levels rise?

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On average, sea levels have risen about 8 inches since reliable record keeping began in the 1880s. This rise is now accelerating and sea levels are projected to rise another one to six feet, or more, by the end of this century.  There are different and wide projections because of uncertainty about the rate of ice melting and future amounts of carbon dioxide being put into the atmosphere. The latter will be determined by political decisions about energy use and production. How fast sea level will occur in Fairfield is a crucial question for adapting to a changing coastline, but one that is harder to answer. 

Sea level rise does not occur evenly across the globe; levels along the east coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico are rising much faster than elsewhere. For Fairfield County, the organization Climate Central projects 3.8 feet of sea level rise by 2100 using the National Climate Assessment’s intermediate sea level rise scenario.