This surge, equating to transferring a quarter of Lake Superior's volume into the world's oceans in just one year, is underscored by over three decades of satellite observations, including missions such as the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon and the more recent Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite.
Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, the director for the NASA sea level change team, emphasized the current trajectory, predicting a doubling of sea level change by 2050, heightening global flood risks. The 2023 increase is largely due to a shift from La Nina, with its cooler equatorial Pacific Ocean temperatures, to an intense El Nino phase, characterized by warmer oceanic conditions. This transition influences rainfall distribution and, consequently, sea levels globally.
Josh Willis, a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, highlighted the impact of these climate phenomena on sea level variations. El Nino years tend to elevate sea levels as precipitation patterns shift, moving water from land back into the ocean.
Beyond these annual variations, the enduring trend of rising ocean heights over the past 30 years directly correlates with global warming, attributed to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This long-term view, enabled by radar altimetry and international cooperation, differentiates between transient effects and ongoing sea level progression.
Furthermore, recalibrations of the satellite sea level dataset, considering additional measurements like atmospheric water vapor and Earth's gravity field, refine our understanding of global sea level dynamics. This comprehensive approach, blending space-based altimetry with over a century of tide gauge records, enhances the accuracy of our global sea level change assessments.
Related Links
Sea Level Science at JPL
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
