Over the past century, the global sea level has risen by 4 to 8 inches. However, over the last 20 years this increase has been occurring at approximately twice the average speed of the preceding 80 years. __________ is NOT a cause for this increased global sea level. A) Thermal expansion B) Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps C) Ice loss from Greenland and West Antarctica D) An increase in the water present in the water cycle

Over the past century, the global sea level has risen by 4 to 8 inches. However, over the last 20 years this increase has been occurring at approximately twice the average speed of the preceding 80 years. An increase in the water present in the water cycle is NOT a cause for this increased global sea level.

Regarding the causes of sea level rise, it's important to understand these processes in more depth:

A) Thermal expansion: When water heats up, it expands. As the average temperature of the Earth increases due to global warming, the ocean water warms and expands, contributing to rising sea levels.

B) Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps: Glaciers and ice caps around the world are melting as global temperatures rise. When this ice that was previously on land melts and flows into the oceans, it adds to the overall volume of ocean water, causing sea levels to rise.

C) Ice loss from Greenland and West Antarctica: Similarly, the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are losing mass more quickly than they are gaining it from snowfall. This loss of ice contributes to rising sea levels as the melted water flows into the ocean.

Overall, while the vast majority of Earth's water is cycled through the atmosphere, oceans, and lands through processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff, this cycling process does not increase the total amount of water and hence does not contribute to rising sea levels. Instead, it's the addition of water from ice melt and the volume expansion from warming that are behind the observed increase in sea level.