The IPCC estimates that sea levels rose 17 centimeters (or about 6.7 inches) in the 20th century. Scientists project rising sea levels to continue through the 21st century, with levels increasing between 7 and 22 inches by 2100. The IPCC did not consider changes in ice flow in these projections due to a lack of scientific data. Sea levels will likely be greater than the range of projections, but we can't be sure by how much until more data can be gathered about the effect of global warming on ice flows.
With a rise in the overall temperature of the ocean, ocean-borne storms such as tropical storms and hurricanes, which get their fierce and destructive energy from the warm waters they pass over, could increase in force.
If the rising temperature affects glaciers and ice shelves, could the polar ice caps be in danger of melting and causing the oceans to rise? We'll look at this danger in the next section.