Abstract

Space gravity missions have enabled the quantification of ocean mass increase over the past two decades due to exchanges between continents and oceans. Globally, non-steric sea level rise is predominantly driven by melting polar ice sheets and mountain glaciers. However, continental hydrological processes also contribute to sea level change at significant magnitudes. We show that for most coastal areas in low-to-mid latitudes, up to half of local non-steric sea level rise is due to changes in water storage in ice-free continental regions. At other locations the direct attraction effect of anthropogenic pumping of groundwater over the duration of the GRACE and GRACE-FO mission offsets sea level rise from ice sheet and glacier melt. If these trends in continental hydrological storage were to slow or stop, these regions would experience greatly accelerated sea-level rise, posing a risk to coastal settlements and infrastructure, however, sea level rise elsewhere would be reduced.