Time Varying Mean Sea Level

Luciana Fenoglio-Marc and Erwin Groten
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Luciana Fenoglio-Marc: Technical University Darmstadt, Institute of Physical Geodesy
Erwin Groten: Technical University Darmstadt, Institute of Physical Geodesy

Chapter 12 in Handbook of Geomathematics, 2010, pp 353-370 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract After a general theoretical consideration of basic mathematical aspects, numerical and physical details, which are related to a specific epoch and areas where sufficient and reliable data are available, are addressed. The concept of a “mean sea level” is in itself rather artificial, because it is not possible to determine a figure for mean sea level for the entire planet, and it varies on a much smaller scale. This is because the sea is in constant motion, affected by the high- and low-pressure zones above it, the tides, local gravitational differences, and so forth. What is possible to do is to calculate the mean sea level at that point and use it as a reference datum. Coastal and global sea level variability are analyzed between January 1993 and June 2008. The coastal variability is estimated from tide gauges, altimeter data colocated to the tide gauges and from altimeter data along the world coasts, while the global variability is estimated from altimeter data. Regionally there is a good agreement between coastal and open-ocean sea level variability from altimeter data. The sea level trends are regionally dependent, with positive average of 3. 1 ± 0. 4 mm∕year. The variability of the trend of coastal sea level appears to be related to the interannual time scale of variability of the Northern Atlantic Oscillation and of the El Nino- Southern Atlantic Oscillation climatic indices.

Keywords: North Atlantic Oscillation; Tide Gauge; Satellite Altimetry; Altimeter Data; Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-01546-5_12

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