Query: The result did suggest the sea level  was increasing in the western Pacific, but this was offset by a drop in  the level near the Alaskan coast.

Relevant passages:
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami <=SEP=> The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on 26 December with the epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra , Indonesia . The shock had a moment magnitude of 9.1 -- 9.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX ( Violent ) . The undersea megathrust earthquake was caused when the Indian Plate was subducted by the Burma Plate and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean , killing 230,000 -- 280,000 people in 14 countries , and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 m high . It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history . Indonesia was the hardest-hit country , followed by Sri Lanka , India , and Thailand .   It is the third-largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph and had the longest duration of faulting ever observed , between 8.3 and 10 minutes . It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 cm and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska . Its epicentre was between Simeulue and mainland Indonesia . The plight of the affected people and countries prompted a worldwide humanitarian response . In all , the worldwide community donated more than US$ 14 billion ( 2004 ) in humanitarian aid . The event is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra -- Andaman earthquake . The resulting tsunami was given various names , including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami , South Asian tsunami , Indonesian tsunami , the Christmas tsunami , and the Boxing Day tsunami .

Sea level rise <=SEP=> A sea level rise is an increase in the volume of water in the world 's oceans , resulting in an increase in global mean sea level . Sea level rise is usually attributed to global climate change by thermal expansion of the water in the oceans and by melting of Ice sheets and glaciers on land . Melting of floating ice shelves or icebergs at sea raises sea levels only slightly .   Sea level rise at specific locations may be more or less than the global average . Local factors might include tectonic effects , subsidence of the land , tides , currents , storms , etc. .  Sea level rise is expected to continue for centuries . Because of the slow inertia , long response time for parts of the climate system , it has been estimated that we are already committed to a sea-level rise of approximately 2.3 m for each degree Celsius of temperature rise within the next 2,000 years . IPCC Summary for Policymakers , AR5 , 2014 , indicated that the global mean sea level rise will continue during the 21st century , very likely at a faster rate than observed from 1971 to 2010 . Projected rates and amounts vary . A January 2017 NOAA report suggests a range of GMSL rise of 0.3 -- 2.5 m possible during the 21st century .   Sea level rises can considerably influence human populations in coastal and island regions and natural environments like marine ecosystems .

Settlement of the Americas <=SEP=> Available scientific evidence indicates that modern humans emerged from Africa over 100,000 years ago , yet did not arrive in the Americas until less than 20,000 years ago . Current understanding of the settlement of the Americas derives from advances in four interrelated disciplines : archaeology , Pleistocene geology , physical anthropology , and DNA analysis . While there is general agreement that the Americas were first settled from Asia , the pattern of migration , its timing , and the place ( s ) of origin in Asia of the peoples who migrated to the Americas remain unclear . In the 2000s , researchers sought to use familiar tools to validate or reject established theories , such as Clovis first . The archeological evidence suggests that the Paleo-Indians ' first dispersal into the Americas occurred near the end of the last glacial period or , more specifically , what is known as the Last Glacial Maximum ( LGM ) , around 16,500 -- 13,000 years ago .   The settlement of the Americas is of intense interest to archaeologists and anthropologists . Modern biochemical techniques , as well as the accumulation of archaeological and geological evidence , have shed progressively more light on the subject ; however , significant questions remain unresolved .