scholarly journals Global mean sea level variations and the land water cycle at the inter-annual scale during the 2014–2016 El Niño episode

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (19) ◽  
pp. 2116-2124
Author(s):  
Wei CHEN ◽  
Min ZHONG ◽  
YuLong ZHONG ◽  
Wei FENG ◽  
MingYue ZHANG
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Sea Level Variations ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Annual Scale ◽  
Land Water ◽  
Global Mean

The rate and acceleration of the global mean sea level revisited

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Moreira ◽  
Anny Cazenave ◽  
Denise Cáceres ◽  
Hindumathi Palanisamy ◽  
Habib Dieng
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Expansion ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Land Water ◽  
Global Mean

<p>Since nearly 3 decades, high-precision satellite altimetry allows us to precisely measure the mean sea level evolution at global and regional scales. In terms of global mean, sea level is rising at a mean rate of 3.2 mm/yr. The altimetry record is also suggesting that the global mean sea level rise is accelerating. However, the exact value of the acceleration and even its mere existence are still debated. Determination of the global warming-related sea level rate and acceleration are somewhat hindered by the interannual signal caused by natural climate variability. During the recent years, several studies have shown that at interannual time scale, the global mean sea level is mostly due to ENSO-driven land water storage variations. But thermal expansion fluctuations may also contribute. Thus, to isolate the global warming signal in the global mean sea level, we need to remove the ENSO-related interannual variability. For that purpose we use the Water Gap Global Hydrological model developed by the University of Frankfurt for land water storage as well as GRACE space gravimetry data on land and empirical models based on ENSO indices. We also extract the ENSO-related signal in thermal expansion. After removing the total interannual variability signal due to both mass and steric components, we compute the evolution with time of the ‘residual’ rate of sea level rise over successive 5-year moving windows, as well as the associated acceleration. Using time series of thermal expansion and ice sheet mass balances, we also estimate the respective contributions of each component to the global mean sea level acceleration.</p>

scholarly journals The certitude of a global sea level acceleration during the satellite altimeter era

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40
Author(s):  
H. Bâki İz ◽  
C.K. Shum
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Satellite Altimetry ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Sea Level Acceleration ◽  
Kinematic Models ◽  
Sea Level Variations ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Global Sea Level ◽  
Omission Errors ◽  
Global Mean

AbstractRecent studies reported a uniform global sea level acceleration during the satellite altimetry era (1993–2017) by analyzing globally averaged satellite altimetry measurements. Here, we discuss potential omission errors that were not thoroughly addressed in detecting and estimating the reported global sea level acceleration in these studies. Our analyses results demonstrate that the declared acceleration in recent studies can also be explained equally well by alternative kinematic models based on previously well-established multi-decadal global mean sea level variations of various origins, which suggests prudence before declaring the presence of an accelerating global mean sea level with confidence during the satellite altimetry era.

scholarly journals Global sea-level budget 1993–present

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1551-1590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Grand Challenge ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Climate Research ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Land Water ◽  
Global Mean ◽  
Individual Mass

Abstract. Global mean sea level is an integral of changes occurring in the climate system in response to unforced climate variability as well as natural and anthropogenic forcing factors. Its temporal evolution allows changes (e.g., acceleration) to be detected in one or more components. Study of the sea-level budget provides constraints on missing or poorly known contributions, such as the unsurveyed deep ocean or the still uncertain land water component. In the context of the World Climate Research Programme Grand Challenge entitled Regional Sea Level and Coastal Impacts, an international effort involving the sea-level community worldwide has been recently initiated with the objective of assessing the various datasets used to estimate components of the sea-level budget during the altimetry era (1993 to present). These datasets are based on the combination of a broad range of space-based and in situ observations, model estimates, and algorithms. Evaluating their quality, quantifying uncertainties and identifying sources of discrepancies between component estimates is extremely useful for various applications in climate research. This effort involves several tens of scientists from about 50 research teams/institutions worldwide (www.wcrp-climate.org/grand-challenges/gc-sea-level, last access: 22 August 2018). The results presented in this paper are a synthesis of the first assessment performed during 2017–2018. We present estimates of the altimetry-based global mean sea level (average rate of 3.1 ± 0.3 mm yr−1 and acceleration of 0.1 mm yr−2 over 1993–present), as well as of the different components of the sea-level budget (http://doi.org/10.17882/54854, last access: 22 August 2018). We further examine closure of the sea-level budget, comparing the observed global mean sea level with the sum of components. Ocean thermal expansion, glaciers, Greenland and Antarctica contribute 42 %, 21 %, 15 % and 8 % to the global mean sea level over the 1993–present period. We also study the sea-level budget over 2005–present, using GRACE-based ocean mass estimates instead of the sum of individual mass components. Our results demonstrate that the global mean sea level can be closed to within 0.3 mm yr−1 (1σ). Substantial uncertainty remains for the land water storage component, as shown when examining individual mass contributions to sea level.

scholarly journals Global Sea Level Budget 1993–Present

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Grand Challenge ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Climate Research ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Land Water ◽  
Global Mean ◽  
Individual Mass

Abstract. Global mean sea level is an integral of changes occurring in the climate system in response to unforced climate variability as well as natural and anthropogenic forcing factors. Its temporal evolution allows detecting changes (e.g., acceleration) in one or more components. Study of the sea level budget provides constraints on missing or poorly known contributions, such as the unsurveyed deep ocean or the still uncertain land water component. In the context of the World Climate Research Programme Grand Challenge entitled ``Regional Sea Level and Coastal Impacts'', an international effort involving the sea level community worldwide has been recently initiated with the objective of assessing the various data sets used to estimate components of the sea level budget during the altimetry era (1993 to present). These data sets are based on the combination of a broad range of space-based and in situ observations, model estimates and algorithms. Evaluating their quality, quantifying uncertainties and identifying sources of discrepancies between component estimates is extremely useful for various applications in climate research. This effort involves several tens of scientists from about sixty research teams/institutions worldwide (http://www.wcrp-climate.org/grand-challenges/gc-sea-level). The results presented in this paper are a synthesis of the first assessment performed during 2017–2018. We present estimates of the altimetry-based global mean sea level (average rate of 3.1 ± 0.3 mm/yr and acceleration of 0.1 mm/yr2 over 1993–present), as well as of the different components of the sea level budget (doi:10.17882/54854). We further examine closure of the sea level budget, comparing the observed global mean sea level with the sum of components. Ocean thermal expansion, glaciers, Greenland and Antarctica contribute by 42 %, 21 %, 15 % and 8 % to the global mean sea level over the 1993–present. We also study the sea level budget over 2005–present, using GRACE-based ocean mass estimates instead of sum of individual mass components. Results show closure of the sea level budget within 0.3 mm/yr. Substantial uncertainty remains for the land water storage component, as shown in examining individual mass contributions to sea level.

scholarly journals Improved determination of global mean sea level variations using TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 1331-1334 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Nerem ◽  
B. J. Haines ◽  
J. Hendricks ◽  
J. F. Minster ◽  
G. T. Mitchum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Sea Level Variations ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Global Mean

scholarly journals Is there a 60-year oscillation in global mean sea level?

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Don P. Chambers ◽  
Mark A. Merrifield ◽  
R. Steven Nerem
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Global Mean

A 25-Year Satellite Altimetry-Based Global Mean Sea Level Record

2017 ◽  
pp. 187-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Steven Nerem ◽  
Michaël Ablain ◽  
Anny Cazenave ◽  
John Church ◽  
Eric Leuliette
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Satellite Altimetry ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Global Mean
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