资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

Stephen Ramsey/Getty

By Michael Marshall

Water from the ocean has been steadily draining away into the interior of our planet over the last 150 million years. The loss of water is equivalent to a fall in sea level of at least 50 metres and possibly 130 metres.

The drainage will not affect the current rise in sea levels, which is driven by climate change and ultimately our greenhouse gas emissions. The current rise is taking place over centuries, whereas the natural drainage is 10,000 times slower.

Many processes have affected sea levels over Earth’s history …

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