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Eustatic sea level

Eustatic sea level denotes the global mean sea level fluctuations attributable to alterations in the total volume of seawater or the configuration of ocean basins, distinct from localized variations induced by vertical land movements such as glacial isostatic adjustment.^[1]^[2] These changes arise primarily from the melting or accumulation of continental ice sheets and glaciers, thermal expansion or contraction of seawater due to temperature variations, and modifications to ocean basin volume via tectonic processes or sedimentation.^[3]^[4] Over geological timescales, eustatic sea levels have exhibited pronounced variability, dropping by approximately 120 meters during the Last Glacial Maximum around 20,000 years ago due to extensive ice volume on land, followed by a rapid post-glacial rise exceeding 100 meters until about 6,000 years before present.^[5] Proxy records from coral reefs, sediment cores, and oxygen isotope ratios in foraminifera provide empirical reconstructions of these ancient shifts, revealing cycles tied to Milankovitch orbital forcings and ice sheet dynamics rather than isolated anthropogenic influences.^[6] In the modern era, tide gauge networks and satellite altimetry since 1993 have documented a global mean rise averaging 1.7 mm per year from 1900 to 2020, accelerating to about 3.7 mm per year over the past 25 years, with contributions split between steric effects (roughly 40-50%) and mass addition from land ice loss.^[7]^[8]^[9] Empirical assessments underscore that while current rates exceed early 20th-century values, the magnitude remains within historical precedents adjusted for deglaciation recovery, though attribution to greenhouse gas-driven warming versus natural variability persists as a point of scholarly contention, with peer-reviewed analyses emphasizing the need for disentangling post-glacial isostatic signals from true eustatic trends.^[10]^[11] This distinction holds critical implications for paleoclimate interpretation, stratigraphic modeling, and projections of coastal inundation, where overreliance on unadjusted local records can inflate perceived risks.^[4]

Core Definitions and Distinctions

Precise Definition and Scope

Eustatic sea level denotes the global mean sea level, conceptualized as the distance from the Earth's center of mass to the ocean surface, serving as a universal reference datum independent of local crustal deformations.^[12] This definition emphasizes uniformity across ocean basins, arising from variations in the total mass or density of seawater, or alterations in ocean basin geometry that affect water accommodation space.^[13] Primary drivers include additions or subtractions of water mass, such as through glacial-eustatic cycles where ice sheet growth sequesters ocean water onto land, lowering global levels by up to 120 meters during Pleistocene maxima, or thermal expansion from ocean warming, which reduces seawater density and elevates levels without net mass change.^[11] The scope of eustatic changes excludes localized vertical motions of the solid Earth, such as isostatic rebound from deglaciation or tectonic subsidence, which instead contribute to relative sea level variations observed at specific coastal sites.^[12] ^[13] Quantitatively, eustatic signals are inferred from widespread geological proxies like coral reef stratigraphy or oxygen isotope ratios in benthic foraminifera, which record synchronous shifts detectable across distant basins, distinguishing them from regional effects. For instance, mid-Holocene highstands around 6,000 years before present reflect post-glacial meltwater pulses raising levels by approximately 2-3 meters above modern baselines in far-field sites minimally affected by isostatic adjustment.^[14] This global framework underpins paleoceanographic reconstructions, where eustatic fluctuations of tens to hundreds of meters over millions of years correlate with supercontinent cycles or mantle plume activity altering basin volumes.^[15] In contemporary contexts, eustatic rise is empirically attributed to combined ice mass loss from Greenland and Antarctica—totaling about 400 gigatons annually as of 2020—and steric expansion, contributing roughly 1.7 millimeters per year to the observed global trend since 1993, as calibrated by satellite altimetry against tide gauge benchmarks.^[11] The term's application thus spans Quaternary fluctuations of 150 meters amplitude to Phanerozoic-scale variations exceeding 200 meters, always privileging ocean-wide synchroneity over disparate local records.^[16]

Differentiation from Relative and Isostatic Sea Level Changes

Eustatic sea level changes represent global variations in the volume of ocean water or the geometry of ocean basins, leading to a theoretically uniform rise or fall in sea level relative to the Earth's center of mass, independent of local crustal movements.^[9] These changes primarily stem from factors such as the addition or removal of water mass (e.g., via ice sheet melting or evaporation) and thermal expansion of seawater, without incorporating site-specific land motions.^[17] In contrast, relative sea level (RSL) change denotes the observed variation in sea height at a specific coastal locality, which combines the eustatic component with vertical land motion (VLM) due to subsidence, uplift, or other local geological processes.^[18] For instance, while a eustatic rise of 1 mm per year might occur globally, RSL at a subsiding delta like the Mississippi could exceed 10 mm per year due to sediment compaction and groundwater extraction amplifying the apparent rise.^[4] Isostatic sea level changes form a subset of VLM, arising specifically from the Earth's crust adjusting to imbalances in gravitational loading, such as post-glacial rebound where formerly glaciated regions uplift after ice unloading.^[17] This glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) can cause relative sea level fall in high-latitude areas like Scandinavia, where uplift rates reach several millimeters per year, even as eustatic rise continues globally.^[19] Unlike eustatic changes, which affect ocean volume uniformly, isostatic effects are regionally variable and decay over millennia as the mantle viscoelastic response redistributes mass; for example, GIA models indicate ongoing uplift in Hudson Bay at about 10-12 mm per year as a legacy of the Laurentide Ice Sheet's retreat around 7,000-10,000 years ago.^[20] Distinguishing these is critical for accurate global mean sea level reconstruction, as uncorrected isostatic signals in tide gauge data can bias eustatic estimates by up to 1-2 mm per year in affected regions.^[21] The differentiation matters empirically because tide gauges measure RSL, necessitating corrections for isostatic and other VLM to isolate the eustatic signal; satellite altimetry provides a closer approximation to eustatic change by orbiting over open ocean but still requires GIA modeling for geoid adjustments.^[22] Failure to account for these distinctions has led to misinterpretations in regional projections, such as overestimating eustatic contributions in tectonically stable far-field sites versus underestimating them in isostatically rebounding near-field areas.^[23]

Component	Primary Causes	Spatial Scale	Measurement Challenges
Eustatic	Ice melt, thermal expansion, basin tectonics	Global	Requires averaging multiple corrected local records^[9]
Relative	Eustatic + local VLM (all types)	Local	Directly observed but confounded by non-eustatic factors^[18]
Isostatic	Glacial unloading, sediment loading	Regional	Modeled via viscoelastic Earth parameters; proxy data from fossils^[17]

Causal Mechanisms

Geological and Natural Drivers

Changes in the volume of ocean basins, driven by plate tectonics, constitute a primary geological mechanism for eustatic sea level variations. These alterations occur through fluctuations in seafloor spreading rates at mid-ocean ridges, which modify the thickness and subsidence of oceanic crust; faster spreading generates more voluminous, elevated ridge systems that displace seawater upward, elevating global sea levels, while slower rates allow greater crustal cooling and subsidence, expanding basin capacity and lowering levels.^[24]^[25] Subduction processes at convergent margins further influence this by removing older, denser crust, indirectly affecting overall basin volume over millions of years.^[26] Over the Phanerozoic eon, tectonic reconfiguration during supercontinent cycles—such as the breakup of Pangaea—has driven ocean basin volume fluctuations resulting in eustatic sea level changes of approximately 200 meters since the Jurassic period, with amplitudes from ridge length and spreading rate variations typically ranging 100 to 300 meters.^[24] Less constrained factors, including asymmetric spreading and back-arc basin formation, can contribute additional shifts up to 120 to 150 meters.^[27] These long-term trends contrast with shorter glacio-eustatic cycles, as tectonic effects operate on timescales of 10 to 100 million years, linking to mantle convection and global plate motions rather than surface climate forcings.^[28] Dynamic topography, arising from sublithospheric mantle flow, provides another geological driver by inducing broad-scale uplift or subsidence of ocean floors, thereby altering basin accommodation space; for instance, convective downwelling can deepen basins and lower sea levels, while upwelling shallows them and raises levels, with contributions comparable to spreading-driven changes on tectonic timescales.^[25] Volcanism at hotspots or ridges indirectly modulates this by influencing crustal production rates, though its eustatic impact remains secondary to overall plate boundary dynamics.^[29] Empirical reconstructions from stratigraphic records confirm these mechanisms' dominance in pre-Quaternary eustasy, where basin volume adjustments explain much of the observed long-wavelength sea level curves independent of ice volume proxies.^[30]

Thermal Expansion and Ice Mass Balance

Thermal expansion, the primary driver of the steric component of eustatic sea level rise, occurs as seawater absorbs heat from the atmosphere and expands in volume without a corresponding increase in mass. This process, quantified through ocean temperature profiles from Argo floats and satellite data, has accounted for roughly one-third of global mean sea level (GMSL) rise over the satellite era (1993–present), contributing approximately 1.0–1.5 mm per year amid overall GMSL trends of 3–4 mm per year.^[31] However, interannual variability is significant; in 2024, thermal expansion drove two-thirds of the observed GMSL acceleration to 5.9 mm, linked to record ocean heat content exceeding prior years by 16 zettajoules relative to 2005–2019 baselines.^[32] Halosteric effects from salinity changes play a minor role globally, typically offsetting less than 10% of thermosteric expansion in most ocean basins.^[33] Ice mass balance refers to the net change in land-based ice volume, where losses from melting and calving exceed accumulation from snowfall, adding freshwater to the oceans and constituting the main barystatic (mass-driven) contributor to eustatic rise. Between 1992 and 2020, the combined Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets lost 4890 ± 430 billion metric tons of ice, equivalent to 21.0 ± 1.9 mm of GMSL rise, with the mass loss rate accelerating from 105 Gt per year in the early 1990s to 372 Gt per year by the 2010s.^[34] Greenland's ice sheet has shown consistent net loss, peaking at 345 ± 66 Gt per year in 2011 due to enhanced surface melt and outlet glacier dynamics, while Antarctica's losses, averaging 150 Gt per year from 2002 to 2023 (0.4 mm per year GMSL equivalent), have accelerated in West Antarctica but been partially offset by gains in East Antarctica's interior snowfall.^[35]^[36] Peripheral glaciers outside the major ice sheets have contributed comparably to ice sheet melt in recent decades, with global glacier mass loss from 2010 to 2020 equating to 0.75 ± 0.03 mm per year of GMSL rise—surpassing the combined ice sheet contribution over that period and driven by widespread retreat in regions like Alaska, the Himalayas, and the Southern Andes.^[37] From 2000 to 2023, glaciers shed an estimated 273 billion tons annually, positioning them as the second-largest source of barystatic rise after Greenland.^[38] Uncertainties in these estimates stem from sparse in-situ measurements and GRACE/GRACE-FO gravimetry limitations in resolving short-term signals, but ensemble assessments like IMBIE confirm the overall trend of imbalance, with ice loss explaining 50–60% of barystatic changes excluding minor terrestrial water storage fluctuations.^[39] Together, thermal expansion and ice mass deficits have dominated eustatic rise since 1900, comprising over two-thirds of the 20–25 cm total increase, though their relative shares vary with climate forcings like El Niño events amplifying steric signals.^[40]

Anthropogenic Contributions and Empirical Attribution

Anthropogenic influences on eustatic sea level primarily arise from greenhouse gas emissions, which elevate global temperatures and induce ocean thermal expansion alongside accelerated mass loss from land-based glaciers and ice sheets. Thermal expansion, where seawater expands as it warms, has contributed roughly 1.4 mm per year to global mean sea level rise between 2006 and 2015, representing about 42% of the total during that period.^[5] Glacier melt added approximately 0.76 mm per year, while contributions from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets totaled around 0.8 mm per year combined, with these components linked to human-induced warming through radiative forcing.^[41] These estimates derive from mass balance observations, gravimetry, and altimetry data, though uncertainties persist in partitioning ice sheet dynamic losses from surface mass balance changes.^[42] Empirical attribution of sea level rise to anthropogenic causes employs detection and attribution frameworks, comparing observed trends against model simulations of natural variability (e.g., solar irradiance, volcanic aerosols) versus combined natural and anthropogenic forcings. Studies indicate that natural forcings alone cannot replicate the observed global mean sea level rise of approximately 1.7 mm per year from 1901 to 2010 or the acceleration to 3.7 mm per year post-1993, requiring greenhouse gas influences to match the data.^[43] Fingerprint analyses, which examine spatial patterns such as greater rise in the Northern Hemisphere due to land ice distribution, further support an anthropogenic signal emerging prominently since the mid-20th century.^[44] For instance, attribution quantifies that human activities explain over 70% of the sea level rise since 1970, with ocean heat uptake and ice melt as key mediators.^[7] However, debates surround the magnitude of acceleration and its attribution, with some analyses of long-term tide gauge records finding no statistically significant global speedup beyond 20th-century rates of 1.5-2 mm per year, potentially influenced by multidecadal oscillations like the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation.^[45] Tide gauge data, which measure relative sea level after correcting for vertical land motion, often yield lower averages than satellite altimetry (3-4 mm per year since 1993), raising questions about satellite calibration for instrument drift and reference frame adjustments.^[46] Acceleration claims rely heavily on post-1990 records, where natural variability and data homogeneity issues complicate isolation of anthropogenic effects, and model-based attributions assume equilibrium climate sensitivity values that remain uncertain.^[23] Recent assessments, including those from 2024-2025, affirm an anthropogenic dominance in recent trends but highlight that paleoclimate records and unmodeled geological forcings warrant further scrutiny for robust causal inference.^[47]^[48]

Measurement Techniques

Historical and Proxy Methods

Proxy reconstructions of eustatic sea level utilize geological archives that isolate global signals from ice volume changes and ocean basin alterations, distinct from local tectonic or isostatic influences. These methods often involve calibrating regional relative sea-level indicators against models to estimate the eustatic component, with uncertainties arising from incomplete separation of confounding factors.^[49] Stable oxygen isotope ratios (δ¹⁸O) in benthic foraminifera from deep-sea sediment cores provide one of the longest records, spanning millions of years, by capturing seawater composition variations tied to continental ice storage. During glacial maxima, expanded ice sheets incorporate lighter ¹⁶O, enriching ocean δ¹⁸O and elevating foraminiferal shell values, which inversely proxy lower eustatic levels; conversely, interglacials show depleted δ¹⁸O and higher sea levels. This method, standardized in benthic stacks like Lisiecki and Raymo (2005), yields eustatic estimates with millennial-scale resolution but requires corrections for local temperature and salinity effects, as δ¹⁸O also reflects deep-water formation changes.^[50] For the late Quaternary, uranium-thorium (U-Th) dating of fossil corals from tectonically stable reef platforms, such as those in Barbados, directly indicates eustatic positions by measuring growth at specific paleodepths, typically within 5-10 meters vertically. These records reconstruct deglacial meltwater pulses, like the ~13.9-11.5 ka interval with rates exceeding 20 mm/year, though age accuracy is limited to ~1 kyr due to diagenetic alteration risks and uranium uptake assumptions. Complementary Mg/Ca paleothermometry in planktonic foraminifera helps disentangle ice volume from temperature in δ¹⁸O signals, enhancing eustatic precision over 350 kyr cycles.^[52]^[53]^[54] Historical proxies for the past few centuries to millennia include microfossil assemblages in coastal sediment cores, such as foraminifera or diatoms in salt marshes, calibrated via transfer functions to infer relative sea level before isolating eustatic trends through glacial isostatic adjustment modeling. In regions like Venice, archival records of submerged palace water stairs and tidal markers provide sub-meter resolution for pre-instrumental changes, contributing to global compilations when aggregated across far-field sites. These approaches, however, amplify uncertainties from sediment compaction and anthropogenic modifications, necessitating multi-proxy validation.^[55]^[56]

Tide Gauge Networks and Limitations

Tide gauge networks consist of coastal instruments that record water levels relative to fixed benchmarks on land, providing long-term records essential for estimating historical sea level changes. The Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL), established as a global data repository, compiles monthly and annual mean sea levels from nearly 2,000 tide gauge stations worldwide, enabling analyses of trends since the late 19th century.^[57]^[58] The Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS), coordinated since 1985, standardizes and integrates these stations into a unified network for improved data quality and coverage, supporting both regional and global assessments.^[59] These networks primarily capture relative sea level (RSL), which combines eustatic changes with local vertical land motion (VLM), necessitating corrections to isolate global (eustatic) signals.^[60] To derive eustatic trends, tide gauge data require adjustments for VLM, including glacial isostatic adjustment, tectonic movements, and anthropogenic subsidence, often estimated via co-located GPS measurements or geophysical models.^[61]^[62] NOAA guidelines emphasize continuous GPS observations at tide stations to quantify VLM rates, which can range from uplift exceeding 10 mm/year in post-glacial regions to subsidence of similar magnitude in deltaic areas.^[63] However, such corrections introduce uncertainties, as GPS records are often shorter than tide gauge histories and may not fully capture non-linear or localized motions.^[64] Major limitations of tide gauge networks for eustatic sea level estimation stem from their measurement of RSL rather than absolute geocentric changes, leading to biases if VLM is inadequately corrected; for instance, uncorrected subsidence can inflate apparent rises, while uplift masks them.^[65] Geographical coverage is uneven, with stations concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere and along developed coastlines, resulting in sparse sampling of the open ocean and Southern Hemisphere, where data gaps persist particularly in developing regions.^[66]^[67] This distribution can systematically bias global mean estimates; analyses indicate that averaging long-term records underestimates eustatic rise by approximately 0.1 mm/year due to disproportionate representation of lower-rise locations.^[68] Additional challenges include datum shifts, instrument drift, data gaps from maintenance or destruction, and inconsistencies in averaging periods, which complicate homogenization and trend extraction.^[69]^[65] Despite these issues, corrected tide gauge ensembles provide a foundational record, though they remain less spatially comprehensive than satellite altimetry for capturing basin-wide eustatic variability.^[70]

Satellite Altimetry and Calibration Issues

Satellite altimetry derives global mean sea level (GMSL) trends by measuring the range between orbiting satellites and the sea surface via radar pulses, with data from missions such as TOPEX/Poseidon (launched August 1992) providing the foundational record starting in September 1992. Processing involves subtracting the satellite's orbit height from the range, corrected for atmospheric delays, tides, and sea state effects, to yield sea surface height anomalies averaged over the global ocean. Absolute calibration ties these measurements to in-situ references like tide gauges, while relative calibration monitors drifts through techniques such as crossover differences between ascending and descending passes.^[71]^[72] A key calibration challenge emerged with TOPEX/Poseidon, where tide gauge comparisons revealed a U-shaped drift of approximately 1 mm/yr over its mission lifetime, with total excursions up to ±5 mm, attributed to an internal "Cal-Mode" switch altering the altimeter's gain and offset. This necessitated post-hoc corrections to prevent artificial trends in the GMSL record, though residual uncertainties persist in long-term stability. Similarly, early Jason-1 data (post-2001) exhibited a drift of -5.7 ± 1.0 mm/yr relative to tide gauges at calibration sites, linked to unmodeled orbital errors and radiometer path delay inconsistencies.^[72]^[73] Sea state bias (SSB), arising from electromagnetic bias in radar returns over wavy surfaces, introduces further calibration variability, with corrections carrying uncertainties of 0.4–0.6 mm in GMSL estimates. Non-parametric models for SSB have reduced errors since Jason-2, but validation against buoys shows residual biases up to 10% in significant wave height, propagating to sea level trends. Orbital determination errors, including radial components from GPS and Doppler Orbitography, contribute sub-mm/yr drifts if not mitigated by dynamic reduced orbits.^[71]^[74] Comparisons with tide gauge networks highlight calibration offsets, particularly near coasts where altimetry suffers from land contamination and incomplete tidal models, yielding discrepancies of 1–2 mm/yr in regional trends. Global reconciliation adjusts altimetry biases to align with the 20th-century tide gauge baseline (approximately 1.7 mm/yr), but this assumes stationarity in reference frames, potentially masking accelerations or decadal variability. Alternative calibrations, such as TOPEX-ERS crossovers or triple colocation with GPS, have yielded revised GMSL accelerations as low as 0.08 mm/yr² versus the standard 0.12 mm/yr², underscoring sensitivity to methodological choices.^[75]^[76]^[77] Ongoing efforts, including the Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) campaigns for Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (launched November 2020), emphasize multi-mission consistency through dedicated transponders and buoys, yet full error budgets reveal GMSL uncertainties of 0.5–0.7 mm/yr for short records. These issues imply that while altimetry offers unparalleled spatial coverage for eustatic signals, calibration dependencies introduce systematic risks in attributing trends to specific drivers like thermal expansion or ice melt.^[78]^[74]

Long-Term Historical Record

Variations Over Geological Eras

Over the Phanerozoic eon (541 million years ago to present), eustatic sea levels exhibited large-scale fluctuations driven primarily by variations in continental ice volume, ocean basin volume from tectonic processes, and to a lesser extent sediment supply to basins. Reconstructions from backstripping sedimentary records indicate long-term changes on the order of tens of meters per million years, with peak highstands around +100 ± 50 meters during the mid-Cretaceous (approximately 100 million years ago), reflecting a greenhouse climate with minimal polar ice and elevated mid-ocean ridge volumes. Lowstands occurred during major icehouse intervals, such as the late Paleozoic (Carboniferous-Permian, ~300 million years ago), when Gondwanan glaciation lowered sea levels by an estimated 100-180 meters relative to present, based on glacial deposits and sequence stratigraphy.^[79] In the Paleozoic era, early highstands during the Cambrian-Ordovician transition (around 485-470 million years ago) reached approximately +90 meters, associated with rapid continental flooding and limited ice caps, though subsequent Ordovician glaciation caused a drop of up to 60 meters.^[79] The Devonian period saw variable levels influenced by short-term glacio-eustasy from southern hemisphere ice, with fluctuations of 50-100 meters over orbital cycles, as evidenced by cyclothem sequences.^[80] These estimates derive from integrated stratigraphic and paleogeographic models, which account for tectonic subsidence but highlight uncertainties in pre-Mesozoic ice volume reconstructions due to sparse direct proxies. Mesozoic variations trended toward higher averages, with the Jurassic initiating a rise linked to Pangaean rifting and increased ocean crust production, culminating in the Cretaceous thermal maximum highstand. Post-Cretaceous, eustatic levels fell progressively through the Cenozoic, dropping 70-100 meters from the early Paleogene to the Miocene due to declining ridge volumes and expanding Antarctic ice sheets around 34 million years ago, as indicated by oxygen isotope records and coastal onlap patterns. Pleistocene glaciations amplified short-term lows to -120 meters during glacial maxima, but long-term Cenozoic trends reflect a net decline toward modern levels.^[81] Reconstructions vary across studies; for instance, earlier flooding-based curves (e.g., Haq et al., 1987) proposed higher amplitudes (up to +250 meters in the Cretaceous), but backstripping methods like those of Miller et al. yield more conservative figures by isolating eustatic signals from local tectonics, emphasizing empirical separation of glacio-eustatic and geodynamic components. Recent paleogeographic models confirm Phanerozoic-scale eustasy tracking tectonic cycles, with sea levels generally higher than present until the late Cenozoic icehouse transition.^[82]

Post-Glacial Holocene Fluctuations

Following the end of the Pleistocene around 11,700 years before present (BP), eustatic sea level entered the Holocene with continued rapid rise driven by residual melting of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, including a notable Meltwater Pulse 1B (MWP-1B) centered around 11.3–11.1 ka BP. This event contributed an estimated 7–11 meters of global sea level rise over approximately 250 years, at rates exceeding 30–40 mm per year, marking one of the final major pulses of deglacial meltwater input to the oceans.^[83]^[84] From approximately 11.4 to 8.2 ka BP, eustatic rise averaged about 15 meters at a rate of roughly 1.5 meters per century (15 m/ka), reflecting the ongoing collapse of ice sheets such as the Laurentide and Fennoscandian. This decelerated into the mid-Holocene, with only about 1 meter of rise between 8.2 and 6.7 ka BP, as major ice reservoirs approached minimum extents by around 7 ka BP. Proxy reconstructions from coral reefs and sediment cores, adjusted for glacio-isostatic effects, indicate punctuated but overall slowing ascent, with no evidence of large-scale reversals during this interval.^[85]^[86] In the late Holocene (post-6 ka BP), eustatic sea level stabilized near modern levels, with a total additional rise of approximately 4 meters to around 150 years BP, primarily occurring between 6.7 and 4.2 ka BP at rates below 1 mm per year thereafter. Far-field records from tectonically stable regions, such as equatorial Pacific atolls, show minimal fluctuations, with stability or very slow rise (0.2–1.0 mm/yr) between 3.5 and 1.7 ka BP, and no global oscillations exceeding 15–20 cm on centennial scales. This near-equilibrium reflects the completion of deglaciation, offset by minor contributions from peripheral glaciations in Greenland, Antarctica, and mountain ranges, without significant net ice buildup sufficient to cause eustatic fall.^[85]^[87]^[88]

Pre-20th Century Instrumental Insights

The earliest instrumental records of sea level come from tide gauges deployed mainly in Europe starting in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, capturing relative sea level changes that combine eustatic variations with local vertical land motions. The Amsterdam gauge, with data from 1700 onward, exhibits a long-term relative rise of approximately 1.5–2 mm per year, but this is dominated by subsidence from peat compaction and groundwater extraction in the low-lying Netherlands, yielding limited insight into eustatic trends without modern corrections.^[89]^[90] Similarly, the Kronstadt gauge in Russia, recording since 1773, and Stockholm since 1774, show relative changes heavily influenced by glacial isostatic adjustment, with Stockholm registering a fall of about 4–5 mm per year due to ongoing land uplift in the Baltic region.^[89] More reliable proxies for eustatic signals emerge from tectonically stable sites like Brest, France, where continuous measurements from 1807 indicate a relative rise of roughly 1 mm per year through the 19th century.^[91] Early 19th-century gauges in other locations, such as Key West, Florida (from 1846), and scattered British ports, similarly suggest relative rises of 0.5–1.5 mm per year, though data sparsity and inconsistent methodologies—often manual hourly readings prone to errors—limit precision.^[91] Deriving eustatic rates from these records requires subtracting local land motion effects, which historical data alone cannot accurately quantify, leading to estimates of global mean sea level rise around 0.6 mm per year for the 19th century overall.^[90] No consistent acceleration beyond late Holocene background rates (typically <0.2 mm per year) is evident in these pre-1900 datasets; modern rates exceeding natural variability appear confined to the early 20th century.^[92] The paucity of global coverage—fewer than 20 reliable long-term stations before 1850—underscores high uncertainties in eustatic reconstructions, emphasizing the role of regional factors over uniform global drivers in early instrumental observations.^[91]

Modern Observational Trends

19th-20th Century Rates from Tide Gauges

Tide gauges have provided the longest continuous instrumental records of sea level changes since the early 19th century, primarily measuring relative sea level variations that include both eustatic components and local vertical land motion.^[93] The Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) compiles data from over 2,000 stations worldwide, with the earliest reliable records dating to around 1807 at sites like Brest, France.^[94] To isolate eustatic (global mean sea level, GMSL) trends, reconstructions apply corrections for land motion using glacial isostatic adjustment models, GPS observations where available, and statistical methods to address sparse spatial coverage, which was heavily skewed toward the Northern Hemisphere during this period.^[95] These corrections introduce uncertainties, as model-based estimates of post-glacial rebound can vary, potentially affecting global averages by up to 0.3 mm/year.^[68] In the 19th century, data limitations confined analyses to fewer than 100 long-term European stations, yielding reconstructed GMSL rise rates of approximately 1.0-1.4 mm/year from 1850 to 1900.^[96] For example, the Brest record, one of the longest, indicates a trend of 0.39 ± 0.17 mm/year over the century, influenced by minimal subsidence but consistent with broader low rates before 1870.^[94] ^[97] Global extensions back to 1700-1800 using tide gauge subsets and proxy augmentations suggest total rises of about 6 cm over the 1800s, implying linear rates near 0.6-1.0 mm/year without clear acceleration.^[90] These modest rates align with post-Little Ice Age recovery but reflect challenges in sampling dynamic regions like the Southern Ocean. Twentieth-century reconstructions, drawing from expanded networks of hundreds of gauges, estimate GMSL rise at 1.6-1.75 mm/year from 1900 to 2000.^[98] ^[69] A synthesis of 945 PSMSL stations, corrected for vertical motion, reports 1.75 ± 0.05 mm/year over 1900-2020, with the pre-1990 segment closely matching earlier Church and White estimates of 1.7 ± 0.2 mm/year from 1880 onward.^[99] ^[69] Regional variability was pronounced; Northern Hemisphere sites averaged higher trends (up to 2 mm/year) due to steric expansion and ice melt, while some glaciated areas like Stockholm exhibited apparent falls from isostatic uplift exceeding eustatic rise.^[91] Uncertainties persist from uneven gauge distribution and reliance on geophysical models for unsampled areas, with alternative analyses suggesting rates as low as 1.4 mm/year when prioritizing empirical GPS-tied corrections over modeled GIA.^[100] Overall, these tide gauge-derived rates indicate steady but sub-millimeter-per-decade eustatic changes through the period, driven primarily by thermal expansion and glacier mass loss.^[101]

Satellite-Era Data Since 1993

Satellite altimetry missions, commencing with the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite launched in August 1992 and providing reliable data from mid-1993, have enabled precise monitoring of global mean sea level (GMSL) variations through radar measurements of sea surface height relative to the Earth's center of mass.^[102] These missions account for atmospheric corrections, tidal effects, and orbital errors to derive eustatic trends, with subsequent satellites—Jason-1 (operational from 2001 to 2013), Jason-2 (2008 to 2019), Jason-3 (2016 to present), and Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (2020 to present)—ensuring continuity via overlapping flight paths and cross-calibration.^[103]^[104] Over the 1993–2023 period, GMSL has risen by 111 mm relative to the 1993 baseline, with an average rate of approximately 3.7 mm per year, though this masks decadal acceleration from an initial ~2.1 mm/year (1993–2003) to ~4.4 mm/year (2013–2023).^[48]^[103] The 2023 annual average marked a record 101.4 mm above 1993 levels, influenced by thermal expansion and land ice melt contributions inferred from complementary gravimetry data.^[43] Interannual fluctuations, such as upward jumps during El Niño events (e.g., 1997–1998, 2015–2016, and 2023–2024), superimpose on the underlying trend, with the 2024 rate reaching 5.9 mm/year temporarily due to enhanced ocean warming.^[105]^[106] Uncertainty in these measurements, estimated at ±0.4–0.5 mm/year for long-term trends, arises primarily from instrument stability, atmospheric path delay corrections, and aliasing of high-frequency signals, though rigorous validation against tide gauges reduces systematic biases to below 0.5 mm/year.^[48]^[103] Agency-processed datasets from NASA, NOAA, and CNES/AVISO show consistency within 0.2 mm/year across providers, supporting the observed rise as a robust signal amid natural variability from phenomena like the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.^[102]^[107] Regional deviations from the global mean, such as higher rises in the western Pacific and subsidence-influenced coasts, are captured but averaged out in eustatic estimates.^[108]

Global Averaging and Regional Variations

Satellite altimetry missions, such as TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, -2, and -3, and Sentinel-6, measure absolute sea surface height anomalies relative to a reference ellipsoid, enabling computation of global mean sea level (GMSL) changes with near-complete oceanic coverage from 66°S to 66°N. Data processing involves averaging gridded sea surface height fields, weighted by ocean area, after corrections for instrumental biases, atmospheric effects, and tides; this yields an eustatic signal approximating changes in ocean volume. Tide gauge networks, like those from the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL), supplement longer records but require corrections for vertical land motion (VLM) via co-located GPS to isolate eustatic components, with global averages derived from spatially representative subsets to minimize coastal biases.^[109]^[110]^[111] Regional deviations from the GMSL arise primarily from steric effects (thermal expansion and halosteric contraction varying with local ocean heat content and salinity), dynamic topography (wind- and density-driven currents altering pressure gradients), and mass redistribution. Steric contributions dominate interannual variability, with higher expansion in subtropical gyres due to warmer surface waters, while dynamic effects, such as the strengthening Pacific trade winds, deepen the thermocline in the western Pacific, elevating sea levels there by up to 10-20 cm relative to the east over decadal scales. Barystatic mass changes from ice melt and terrestrial storage exhibit gravitational fingerprints: sea level falls by several millimeters near Greenland (due to diminished attraction) and rises more in the Southern Hemisphere, with total regional anomalies reaching ±5-10 mm/yr from the global mean during 1993-2023.^[112]^[113]^[114] Self-attraction and loading deformation (SALD) from mass shifts further implicates regional patterns, as solid Earth rebound near deglaciated areas (e.g., Scandinavia) offsets rise, while subsidence in deltas like the Mississippi amplifies relative changes; however, for eustatic assessment, these are separated using models like those from GRACE/GRACE-FO gravimetry. Decomposition via ARGO floats (for steric) and altimetry-mass separation reveals that during 1993-2022, the Indo-Pacific warm pool experienced rates exceeding 5 mm/yr, contrasted by slower rise (<2 mm/yr) in the eastern Pacific upwelling zones, underscoring that global averages mask these heterogeneities driven by uneven heat uptake and circulation. Empirical reconstructions confirm these patterns persist across datasets, with steric-dynamic effects explaining ~50-70% of variance in non-mass components.^[115]^[114]^[109]

Key Debates and Controversies

Discrepancies Between Tide Gauges and Satellites

Satellite altimetry measurements, commencing with the TOPEX/Poseidon mission in 1993, have recorded a global mean sea level (GMSL) rise rate of approximately 3.4 to 3.7 mm per year through 2023, with recent decades showing rates up to 4.4 mm per year from 2013 to 2023.^[103] In contrast, reconstructed GMSL trends from tide gauge records, spanning the 20th century, yield an average rise of about 1.7 to 2.0 mm per year globally, after accounting for vertical land motion (VLM) where possible. This persistent difference—roughly double the long-term tide gauge rate—has fueled debate over the reliability of acceleration claims, as tide gauge data from numerous locations show no statistically significant acceleration over the full century, with rates stable or varying without quadratic trends in approximately 95% of analyzed sites.^[23] The core methodological disparity arises because tide gauges measure relative sea level changes against local land benchmarks, requiring VLM corrections (via GPS or models) to approximate absolute eustatic rise, whereas satellite radar altimetry directly estimates absolute sea surface height relative to Earth's center of mass, minus geophysical corrections like glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA).^[64] Incomplete or uncertain VLM estimates at many tide gauge sites—particularly subsidence in deltas or uplift in post-glacial regions—can bias uncorrected records downward for global averaging, though studies applying GPS-corrected VLM to regional subsets (e.g., U.S. coasts) often yield higher adjusted rates closer to satellite values, yet still not fully reconciling the global gap.^[64]^[116] Conversely, satellite data face instrument-specific challenges, including early TOPEX-A radiometer drift that initially overestimated rise by up to 0.5 mm per year in the 1993–1999 period, necessitating post-hoc corrections calibrated against tide gauges themselves, which introduces circularity in validation claims.^[103]^[72] Further scrutiny reveals potential residual biases in altimetry, such as orbit errors, wet tropospheric delays, and sea-state contamination near coasts, which amplify uncertainties in global averaging and may contribute to overestimation, especially given the short ~30-year record susceptible to decadal variability like ENSO or volcanic aerosols absent in longer tide gauge baselines.^[71] Peer-reviewed analyses questioning acceleration emphasize that while regional hotspots (e.g., U.S. Southeast) exhibit faster recent trends in both datasets, global tide gauge reconstructions do not support a robust 20th-century acceleration until model-infilling sparse records, a method critiqued for assuming uniformity in under-sampled ocean basins.^[116]^[117] Proponents of satellite trends attribute the discrepancy to genuine post-1990s acceleration from thermal expansion and ice melt, but independent tide gauge validations post-correction often align better regionally than globally, underscoring unresolved tensions in merging datasets for eustatic inference.^[118] This divergence highlights the limitations of short-term absolute measurements versus century-scale relative records, with tide gauges providing a more conservative baseline less prone to instrumental artifacts.^[119]

Claims of Acceleration: Evidence and Rebuttals

Proponents of sea level acceleration assert that global mean sea level (GMSL) rise has increased nonlinearly since the mid-20th century, with rates shifting from approximately 1.4 mm/year in the early 1900s to 3.3–3.7 mm/year in the satellite era post-1993, implying an acceleration of around 0.1 mm/year². This is primarily evidenced by satellite altimetry records from missions like TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason series, which measure absolute sea surface height over oceans, and reconstructed GMSL series combining tide gauges with modeling. Such trends are attributed to enhanced thermal expansion and land ice mass loss driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, with institutions like NASA reporting a 2024 rise of 0.59 cm, the highest on record.^[43]^[120] Tide gauge-based analyses also support acceleration claims in some global assessments. A 2025 study of 222 stations from 1970–2023 estimated a mean GMSL acceleration of 0.079 ± 0.013 mm/year², statistically significant at 68% of sites, aligning with IPCC AR6 projections for near-term rise. Regional examples include U.S. Southeast and Gulf coast gauges showing acceleration to over 10 mm/year since 2010, linked to ocean circulation changes and steric effects. These findings are integrated into broader reconstructions, such as those indicating a break from 4,000-year stability in the Common Era, with modern rates exceeding paleoclimate baselines.^[121]^[116]^[122] Rebuttals emphasize that direct, long-term tide gauge observations—measuring relative sea level at fixed coastal points—reveal predominantly linear trends without significant acceleration, challenging global claims reliant on shorter or modeled data. A 2025 analysis of 204 Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) stations with at least 60 years of data found statistically significant acceleration in only 4–5% of locations, with median rates of 1.5 mm/year; the few accelerations were attributed to local non-eustatic factors like subsidence or tectonics rather than uniform global forcing. Similarly, examinations of extended North Atlantic records show consistent linear trends before and after 1990, unaffected by satellite-era rates. Critics argue satellite data overestimates eustatic rise due to calibration drifts, incomplete glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) corrections, and sensitivity to short-term variability, while sparse historical coverage in reconstructions amplifies uncertainties.^[23]^[123] Statistical critiques further undermine acceleration evidence. Quadratic fits to 20th-century tide gauge data often yield insignificant second-order terms when tested rigorously, as variability from decadal oscillations (e.g., Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation) can mimic acceleration over limited periods; longer records, such as Amsterdam's since 1700 or Brest's since the 1800s, exhibit steady post-glacial rebound without 20th-century upticks. A Dutch study highlighted in 2025 reinforced this, noting observed rates ~2 mm/year below IPCC projections, suggesting overreliance on modeled extrapolations in consensus assessments. Skeptics, including those wary of institutional incentives favoring alarmist narratives in climate research, contend that null results from unadjusted, empirical gauges are downplayed, prioritizing indirect methods that assume anthropogenic dominance without falsification against natural variability.^[124]^[125]^[126]

Natural Variability vs. Human Forcing

Natural variability in eustatic sea level arises from internal climate oscillations and external forcings independent of human activity, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which modulate ocean heat content, precipitation patterns, and ice mass balance on decadal to multidecadal timescales.^[127] These modes can generate trends in regional and global sea level that mimic or obscure long-term changes, with the AMO linked to North Atlantic steric height variations and the PDO influencing Pacific basin-wide levels through wind-driven circulation shifts.^[128] Long-term persistence, characterized by scaling exponents of 0.6–0.95 in tide gauge records, indicates that natural processes produce multidecadal fluctuations without requiring external trends, potentially leading to overestimation of acceleration in short records.^[129] Human forcing, primarily through greenhouse gas emissions, contributes to eustatic rise via ocean thermal expansion and enhanced land ice melt, with attribution studies estimating that anthropogenic factors accounted for the majority of global mean sea level (GMSL) trends since the mid-20th century, including about 0.8–1.2 mm/yr from steric and barystatic components by 1950–2014.^[130] However, early 20th-century rise (pre-1950), at rates comparable to later decades (~1.7 mm/yr overall 1900–2009), occurred when anthropogenic CO2 levels were lower, suggesting a substantial natural component, possibly from post-glacial adjustment and solar/volcanic influences not fully captured in models.^[131] Debates center on the fraction of observed 20th–21st century rise attributable to humans versus natural variability, with tide gauge analyses showing no statistically significant acceleration in ~95% of global sites, implying steady rates consistent with internal variability rather than a dominant anthropogenic signal.^[23] Budget reconstructions for 1900–2009 close without invoking increased rates in key components like glaciers or thermal expansion, highlighting uncertainties in ice sheet data and weak correlations between GMSL and radiative forcing.^[131] While synthesis reports attribute late-century acceleration to human-induced warming, independent analyses emphasize that long-term memory in sea level records can misattribute natural trends to forcing, complicating detection of human dominance amid unresolved discrepancies between proxy, gauge, and satellite data.^[129]^[132] This underscores the need for models incorporating persistent variability to avoid overconfidence in projections, as natural modes like PDO/AMO continue to modulate contemporary trends.^[127]

Projections, Models, and Uncertainties

Paleoclimate Constraints on Future Changes

Paleoclimate records from periods of elevated temperatures and CO2 concentrations offer empirical bounds on the magnitude and rate of eustatic sea level response to forcing, informing projections beyond instrumental data. During the mid-Pliocene warm period (approximately 3.3–3.0 million years ago), with atmospheric CO2 levels around 400 ppm—comparable to recent decades—global mean sea level is estimated to have been 22 ± 5 meters higher than preindustrial levels, primarily due to reduced Antarctic and Greenland ice volumes, though the adjustment occurred over tens of thousands of years rather than centuries.^[133] These reconstructions, derived from coral reef and sediment proxy data, highlight that sustained warmth can sustain diminished ice sheets, but the slow viscous response of ice sheets imposes millennial-scale lags not fully captured in short-term models.^[134] The Last Interglacial (MIS 5e, ~130,000–116,000 years ago) provides a closer analog to near-term warming, with global temperatures 1–2°C above preindustrial and peak sea levels 5–9 meters higher, attributed to partial collapse of marine-based Antarctic sectors and Greenland contributions of ~2–5 meters.^[135] Proxy records from Red Sea corals and tectonically stable far-field sites indicate average rise rates of ~1.6 meters per century during deglacial phases, but overall interglacial stability suggests that multi-meter contributions require prolonged forcing exceeding orbital cycles, constraining rapid 21st-century equivalents unless unprecedented ice instabilities occur. Ice sheet models calibrated to these data underscore that Greenland's paleo "memory" influences modern mass loss, implying inherited Holocene configurations limit short-term sensitivity.^[137] Holocene records (~11,700 years ago to present) demonstrate relative stability after early rapid post-glacial rise, with global mean sea level fluctuating less than 0.5 meters over the mid-to-late period in far-field proxies, inconsistent with inherent acceleration under millennial warming trends.^[138] This stability, evidenced by salt-marsh and coral records, suggests that without massive ice sheet reconfiguration—as seen in terminations—eustatic changes remain subdued, challenging projections assuming linear extrapolation of recent rates and highlighting natural variability's role in modulating anthropogenic signals.^[139] Paleodata thus impose upper limits on near-term rise (e.g., <2 meters by 2100 under moderate warming) while indicating potential for greater long-term commitment if CO2 stabilization fails to halt polar amplification. Discrepancies between paleo-constrained models and equilibrium-free simulations underscore uncertainties in ice-ocean feedbacks, urging caution against over-reliance on unvalidated dynamic instabilities.^[140]

IPCC and Alternative Model Assessments

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), published in 2021, projects global mean sea level rise of 0.28–0.55 meters (likely range) by 2100 under low-emissions scenarios (SSP1-1.9 to SSP1-2.6), relative to the 1995–2014 baseline, with contributions primarily from thermal expansion (about 40%), glacier mass loss (20–25%), and ice sheet melt from Greenland and Antarctica. Under high-emissions scenarios (SSP5-8.5), the likely range increases to 0.63–1.01 meters, incorporating low-confidence processes such as marine ice sheet instability that could add up to several meters in extreme cases beyond 2100. These projections rely on process-based models integrating climate forcings with ice dynamics, but AR6 acknowledges deep uncertainty in Antarctic contributions, with process-based models underrepresenting rapid changes observed post-2010.^[141]^[142] Earlier IPCC assessments showed variability in estimates; the Third Assessment Report (2001) projected 0.18–0.59 meters by 2100 under various scenarios, while AR5 (2013) raised the upper likely range to 0.26–0.82 meters for representative concentration pathways, reflecting increased emphasis on ice sheet dynamics amid observed acceleration in Greenland melt. Critiques note that mid-1990s projections from the Second Assessment Report aligned closely with observed rise through 2020 (about 0.2 meters since 1990), but later reports overestimated thermal expansion by incorporating higher climate sensitivity assumptions, potentially inflating future estimates. AR6's reliance on emulated models for ice sheets introduces structural uncertainties, as dynamical models struggle to hindcast historical variability without tuning, and the panel's consensus process may favor precautionary upper bounds over empirical constraints from paleoclimate records showing slower long-term rates.^[143] Alternative assessments, such as the 2018 report by climate scientist Judith Curry, employ structured expert elicitation to project a narrower likely range of 0.26–0.82 meters by 2100 across emissions scenarios, aligning with AR5 but excluding low-probability ice cliff instability mechanisms deemed speculative due to lack of physical basis in current observations. Curry's analysis prioritizes historical semi-empirical relationships between temperature and sea level, historical tide gauge data indicating steady 1.7–1.9 mm/year rates without acceleration beyond natural variability, and probabilistic treatment of ice sheet contributions, yielding medians around 0.5 meters under moderate emissions—lower than AR6's high-end due to skepticism of unvalidated model extrapolations. Other critiques, including evaluations of past IPCC performance, suggest future rise may track linear extensions of 20th-century trends (0.3–0.5 meters total), as satellite-era acceleration claims remain contested by tide gauge records showing regional inconsistencies and potential altimetry biases. These alternatives highlight IPCC models' tendency to overproject components like ocean heat uptake when validated against independent observations, advocating for hybrid approaches integrating empirical scaling over purely dynamical simulations.^[144]^[145]^[143]

Sources of Projection Uncertainty

Projections of future eustatic sea level rise are subject to significant uncertainties arising from incomplete understanding of physical processes, model limitations, and scenario dependencies. The dominant source is the response of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, which could contribute anywhere from low to potentially meters-scale rise by 2100 under high-emissions scenarios, driven by processes such as marine ice sheet instability (MISI) and marine ice cliff instability (MICI) that current models struggle to resolve.^[141] These instabilities involve rapid grounding line retreat and iceberg calving, with expert assessments indicating that low-likelihood, high-impact outcomes could add 0.5–2 meters or more to global mean sea level by century's end, though median projections remain lower at 0.1–0.4 meters from Antarctica alone.^[146] For Greenland, uncertainties stem from amplified surface melt from albedo feedback and dynamic thinning, with contributions projected at 0.1–0.3 meters by 2100 but potentially higher if sustained warming exceeds model forcings.^[147] Thermal expansion, accounting for roughly 30–50% of historical rise, introduces lesser but non-negligible uncertainty due to variations in ocean heat uptake efficiency, vertical mixing, and salinity effects, with projections ranging 0.2–0.4 meters by 2100 across scenarios.^[148] Glacier and small ice cap melt adds further variability, projected at 0.1–0.2 meters, though constrained by finite ice volumes and improving mass balance observations.^[141] Land water storage changes, including groundwater depletion and impoundment, contribute smaller fluctuations (±0.1 meters) but are sensitive to socioeconomic pathways.^[149] Additional uncertainties include internal climate variability, which can modulate ice sheet responses by 45–93% through century, and structural model differences across coupled climate-ice sheet simulations.^[150] Scenario choices, such as emissions under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), propagate radiative forcing uncertainties, while aerosol effects and equilibrium climate sensitivity amplify ranges in long-term projections beyond 2100.^[151] Overall, post-2050 projections exhibit "deep uncertainty" primarily from ice dynamics, as noted in IPCC AR6 assessments, where likely ranges widen to 0.28–1.01 meters by 2100 under SSP2-4.5, excluding tail risks.^[141]^[152]

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https://oxfordre.com/climatescience/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228620-e-875
[57]
Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL)
PSMSL is the global data bank for long term sea level change information from tide gauges and bottom pressure recorders.Obtaining Tide Gauge Data · Data · PSMSL Data Explorer · About Us
[58]
RLR - PSMSL
The database of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) contains monthly and annual mean values of sea level from almost 2000 tide gauge stations ...
[59]
Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) - PSMSL
GLOSS, established in 1985, is a sea level observing network that provides oversight and coordination for global and regional networks.
[60]
Tide gauge sea level data | Climate Data Guide
Jan 1, 2016 · Tide gauge data measures water level relative to a fixed point on land, indicating global change and sea level rise since the industrial ...
[61]
Vertical land motion as a key to understanding sea level change and ...
Dec 7, 2015 · Vertical land motions are a key element in understanding how sea levels have changed over the past century and how future sea levels may impact coastal areas.Abstract · Introduction · The Use of Global Positioning... · Discussion
[62]
Vertical Land Motion at Tide Gauges Observed by GNSS
Jul 28, 2022 · Estimating vertical land motion is important to transfer relative sea level measurements at tide gauges into geocentric sea level trends. With ...
[63]
[PDF] NOAA Guidance Document for Determination of Vertical Land ...
This document provides general guidance for the determination of vertical land motion at long- term continuously operating water level stations, ...
[64]
GPS Vertical Land Motion Corrections to Sea‐Level Rise Estimates ...
Jan 25, 2018 · We construct coastal Pacific Northwest profiles of vertical land motion (VLM) known to bias long-term tide-gauge measurements of sea-level rise (SLR)Abstract · Introduction · Methodology to Estimate... · Tide Gauge Estimates of...
[65]
[PDF] The Difficulties in Using Tide Gauges to Monitor Long-Term Sea ...
This paper uses specific examples from New Zealand to illustrate and explain the problems that exist in deriving an accurate figure for the eustatic changes in ...
[66]
limitations from the structure of the PSMSL global sea level data set
The PSMSL data set suffers from three severe limitations: (1) the geographical distribution of reliable tide gauge stations is rather uneven.
[67]
Dive Deeper | How We Measure – Global Sea Level Change
Limitations: There are gaps between tide gauge records, particularly in the Global South limiting effectiveness for measuring sea level globally.
[68]
Are long tide gauge records in the wrong place to measure global ...
Sep 19, 2016 · Averaging trends from a few high-quality tide gauge records can lead to systematic underestimate or overestimate of global mean sea level ...Missing: coverage | Show results with:coverage
[69]
https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/17/5507/2025/
[70]
[PDF] Addressing the Problem of Land Motion at Tide Gauges
Nov 30, 2009 · There are some disadvantages to this approach however, since tide gauges have limited spatial coverage and make measurements relative to a land ...
[71]
Understanding uncertainties in the satellite altimeter measurement ...
Jan 24, 2025 · The SSB aims to correct the error in the satellite altimetry sea level measurements that is due to the presence of ocean waves at the ocean ...Missing: rise | Show results with:rise
[72]
On the “Cal‐Mode” Correction to TOPEX Satellite Altimetry and Its ...
Oct 6, 2017 · Tide-gauge comparisons suggest TOPEX altimeter data have a small (±5 mm) U-shaped 1 mm/yr drift Likely cause is an internal calibration-mode ...
[73]
Calibration of TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason Altimeter Data to ...
The tide gauge calibration of 20 months of nominal Jason data indicates a drift of −5.7 ± 1.0 mm/year, which may be attributable to errors in the orbit ...
[74]
Uncertainty in satellite estimates of global mean sea-level changes ...
Aug 7, 2019 · Peer review · Metrics ... In this study we have estimated the full GMSL error variance–covariance matrix over the satellite altimetry period.
[75]
Offsets in tide-gauge reference levels detected by satellite altimetry
Dec 3, 2023 · Tide gauges near large land masses are typically more challenging owing to inadequacies of satellite altimetry near land and to differences ...
[76]
Comparison of Satellite Altimetry to Tide Gauge Measurement of ...
Both tide gauges and satellite radar altimetry are used to measure the present rates of change in sea level. Tide gauges measure sea level relative to the ocean ...
[77]
A revised acceleration rate from the altimetry-derived global mean ...
Jul 29, 2019 · We propose a novel approach to calibrate TOPEX altimeter data using sea surface height differences at crossovers of TOPEX and ERS. Tide gauges ...
[78]
Special Issue : Calibration and Validation of Satellite Altimetry - MDPI
This Special Issue will address all aspects of improving and verifying the accuracy, stability and consistency of conventional and new altimetric datasets over ...Missing: rise | Show results with:rise
[79]
Long-term Phanerozoic global mean sea level - ScienceDirect.com
Here, we incorporate changes in sea level resulting from variations in seawater volume from continental glaciations at time steps of 1 Myr.
[80]
Phanerozoic orbital-scale glacio-eustatic variability - Utrecht University
Our estimates of sea level change during greenhouse climates are much lower than some estimates based on stratigraphically derived eustatic reconstructions.
[81]
[PDF] Sea Level Change: Lessons from the Geologic Record - USGS.gov
During the last glacial period, sea level fell to about 125 meters below its present level. Sea level rose to about 30 meters above the present level during ...
[82]
[PDF] Global Phanerozoic sea levels from paleogeographic flooding maps
Our new sea level reconstruction usefully tracks global variations in Phanerozoic eustatic sea level, but also opens opportunities to estimate such variations ...<|separator|>
[83]
Revised Postglacial Sea-Level Rise and Meltwater Pulses from ...
May 10, 2021 · Here we attempt to reduce the coral-derived uncertainty and reassess the Barbados SL reconstruction based on a detailed re-analysis of the ...
[84]
Constraints on sea-level rise during meltwater pulse 1B ... - Nature
Jun 2, 2025 · The timing, rate, and magnitude of rapid sea-level rise during Meltwater Pulse 1B (MWP-1B, ~11.45–11.1 ka) remain controversial.
[85]
Sea level and global ice volumes from the Last Glacial Maximum to ...
The major cause of sea-level change during ice ages is the exchange of water between ice and ocean and the planet's dynamic response to the changing surface ...
[86]
Punctuated eustatic sea-level rise in the early mid-Holocene | Geology
Sep 1, 2010 · The sea-level curve, corroborated by the independent proxy records, suggests rapid rise at a rate of 1.8 m/100 yr until 8100 cal (calibrated) ...
[87]
Research paper Late Holocene eustatic sea-level changes deduced ...
The sea level between 3500 and 1700 yr B.P. was stable and it has been the highest in the Holocene. At that time its height was less than 1.0 m above the ...
[88]
Holocene Relative Sea-Level Changes from Near-, Intermediate ...
Nov 12, 2015 · Holocene sea-level changes vary spatially and temporally. Near-field regions show falls, intermediate regions show variable rises, and far- ...<|separator|>
[89]
Other Long Records not in the PSMSL Data Set
Earlier studies include "The world's longest continuous series of sea level observations" (Pure Appl. Geophys., 127, 73-77, 1988) and values for 1774-1984 from ...<|separator|>
[90]
Recent global sea level acceleration started over 200 years ago?
Apr 30, 2008 · Sea level rose by 6 cm during the 19th century and 19 cm in the 20th century. Superimposed on the long-term acceleration are quasi-periodic ...
[91]
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Changes in Sea Level
Oct 2, 2015 · Following the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000–20,000 years ago), sea level rose at rates on the order of several tens of millimeters per year ...
[92]
When did modern rates of sea-level rise start? - ScienceDirect
The use of an inflexion parameterisation to characterise acceleration in European tide-gauge records spanning the 19th and 20th centuries was investigated by ...
[93]
Obtaining Tide Gauge Data - PSMSL
Oct 13, 2025 · To obtain tide gauge data, click on the Station ID in the table and go to the Data section of the next page.Referencing PSMSL · PSMSL Data Explorer · Complete PSMSL Data Set
[94]
Tide gauge datum continuity at Brest since 1711: France's longest ...
Nov 26, 2008 · The trends are further consistent over the 19th century period (0.39 ± 0.17 mm/year and 0.42 ± 0.18 mm/year respectively), indicating a recent ...
[95]
Trends and acceleration in global and regional sea levels since 1807
We use 1277 tide gauge records since 1807 to provide an improved global sea level reconstruction and analyse the evolution of sea level trend and acceleration.
[96]
A 20th century acceleration in global sea‐level rise - AGU Journals
Jan 6, 2006 · First differences of the tide-gauge data are used because it is not possible to relate all of the separate records to a single vertical datum.
[97]
Sea-Level Change at the Brest (France) Tide Gauge and the ... - jstor
This paper focuses on data acquired by the Brest (France) tide gauge that provides one of the longest time series with the fewest gaps. ''Methods'' recalls the ...
[98]
Improved Sea Level Reconstruction from 1900 to 2019 in
In particular, considerably progress has been made on estimates of the barystatic sea level components due to land ice-mass loss and terrestrial water storage ...
[99]
Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century
Mar 30, 2011 · The global average sea-level rise from 1880 to 2009 is about 210 mm. The linear trend from 1900 to 2009 is 1.7 ± 0.2 mm year−1 and since 1961 is ...
[100]
Regional variations in relative sea-level changes influenced by ...
Feb 12, 2024 · The median absolute SL change estimates (from 1900 to 2000) for the SL reconstruction are 1.39 mm yr−1, 1.38 mm yr−1 for the VLM-adjusted tide ...<|separator|>
[101]
Twentieth century sea level: An enigma - PNAS
Greenhouse-related sea level rise has accelerated to the present rate of 6 cm/cy, making the historic + greenhouse rate 24 cm/cy. The recorded tide gauge record ...
[102]
Global Mean Sea Level | Vital Signs
The annual rate of rise – or how quickly sea level rise is happening – has also increased from 0.08 inches/year (0.20 centimeters/year) in 1993 to the current ...
[103]
Mean Sea Level - AVISO.altimetry.fr
Practically this means that rate of sea level rise has doubled from the 1993-2003 decade (2.1 +/- 1 mm/yr, 90%CI) to the 2013-2023 decade (4.4 +/- 0.5 mm/yr, 90 ...
[104]
Sea Level Rise - noaa/nesdis/star
Feb 26, 2024 · Satellite altimeter radar measurements can be combined with precisely known spacecraft orbits to measure sea level on a global basis with unprecedented ...
[105]
Rate of Sea Level Rise Doubled over 30 Years, New Study Shows
Feb 25, 2025 · Recent findings show that over the past 30 years, the rate of global sea level rise doubled. This rate measures the average rise in sea level each year.Missing: empirical eustatic
[106]
NASA Analysis Shows Unexpected Amount of Sea Level Rise in 2024
Mar 13, 2025 · According to a NASA-led analysis, last year's rate of rise was 0.23 inches (0.59 centimeters) per year, compared to the expected rate of 0.17 ...Missing: trends | Show results with:trends
[107]
Altimetric Data Information: Globally-Averaged Sea Level Change
The spatial distribution of sea level change and its global average (global mean sea level or GMSL) are routinely measured by altimetric satellites.
[108]
Tracking 30 Years of Sea Level Rise - NASA Earth Observatory
Aug 10, 2022 · The map at the top of this page shows global trends in sea level as observed from 1993 to 2022 by TOPEX/Poseidon, the three Jason missions, and ...
[109]
NASA Sea Level Change Portal
View regional relative sea level trends and understand the processes that contribute to the measurements from satellite altimeters and tide gauges. All ...Global Sea Level · Understanding Sea Level · Vital Signs · Rate of Sea Level Rise...
[110]
[PDF] Reconstructing sea level rise at global 945 tide gauges since 1900
Jun 24, 2025 · Tide gauges record sea level changes along coast. They are widely used to determine the twentieth century global mean sea level (GMSL) rise.
[111]
Challenges, Advances and Opportunities in Regional Sea Level ...
Jul 29, 2024 · However, regional patterns in sea level rise are shaped essentially by the ocean dynamics, which drive coastal sea level variability over ...
[112]
The regional patterns of the global dynamic and steric sea level ...
Compared with the DSL, the steric sea level (SSL) rises in most of the ocean, and the thermosteric sea level (TSL) is the major contributor. Only in the ...Abstract · Introduction · Steric Sea-Level Variation...Missing: stearic barystatic
[113]
Regional Dynamic and Steric Sea Level Change in Response to the ...
Sea level rise is strongest in the Arctic Ocean, from enhanced freshwater input from precipitation and continental runoff, and weakest in the Southern Ocean, ...
[114]
Ocean mass, sterodynamic effects, and vertical land motion largely ...
Nov 9, 2021 · Here we quantify to what degree contemporary ocean mass change, sterodynamic effects, and vertical land motion influence sea-level rise observed by tide-gauge ...
[115]
The Sensitivity of the Spatial Pattern of Sea Level Changes to the ...
Oct 3, 2024 · The results show that the simulated global sea level change pattern is sensitive to the depth at which Antarctic meltwater enters the ocean.
[116]
Acceleration of U.S. Southeast and Gulf coast sea-level rise ...
Apr 10, 2023 · Sea level rise along the US Southeast and Gulf Coast has accelerated since 2010 due to changes in steric expansion and the ocean's circulation.
[117]
[PDF] Persistent acceleration in global sea-level rise since the 1960s
Previous studies reconstructed twentieth-century global mean sea level (GMSL) from sparse tide-gauge records to understand ... their relation to 19th and 20th ...
[118]
Observation-based trajectory of future sea level for the coastal ...
Oct 6, 2022 · Tide gauges have provided measurements of relative sea-level change extending back to the 17th century for several locations in Europe and since ...
[119]
Tide Gauges Show No Sign of Carbon Driven Acceleration of Sea-Lev
The tide gauges show no sign of acceleration as sea-levels rose and fell at about the same rate in the first and second halves of the 20th century.<|separator|>
[120]
The Clear Evidence for Accelerating Sea Level Rise
Sep 10, 2025 · Ignoring satellite data: The most accurate measurements from satellites show clear acceleration, with global sea level rising 0.59 cm in 2024 ...
[121]
Near‐Term Future Sea‐Level Projections Supported by ...
May 16, 2025 · For the global mean thermosteric contribution, the observation-based projection suggests 5.5 (4.6–6.4) cm sea level rise to 2050, comparable ...
[122]
Modern sea-level rise breaks 4,000-year stability in ... - Nature
Oct 15, 2025 · The reconstructed sea-level budget comprises five components: (1) a GMSL term capturing spatially uniform changes from barystatic signal and ...
[123]
The pattern of sea-level rise across the North Atlantic from long-term ...
Oct 1, 2020 · The long-term-trend tide gauges have monthly average mean sea levels oscillating about the same perfectly linear trend before and after 1990 ...<|separator|>
[124]
New Evidence Confirms That Sea Level Rise Is Not Accelerating
Oct 13, 2025 · Of the locations without significant acceleration, high rates of rise (up to 10 mm per year) are found in one location in the Pacific, in the US ...
[125]
[PDF] IS THE RATE OF SEA LEVEL RISE INCREASING?
IS THE RATE OF SEA LEVEL RISE INCREASING? AN ANALYSIS BASED ON U.S. TIDE GAUGES. AND COMPARISON TO GLOBAL GAUGE RESULTS. James R. Houston1 and Robert G ...
[126]
Sea-Level Acceleration Based on U.S. Tide Gauges and Extensions ...
He also analyzed the four oldest. European gauge records from Brest, Sheerness, Amsterdam, and Stockholm in 1807, 1834, 1799, and 1774, respectively.
[127]
Spatial Patterns of Sea Level Variability Associated with Natural ...
Anthropogenic influence may also contribute to regional sea level variations. Separating the effects of natural climate modes and anthropogenic forcing, however ...
[128]
The decadal sea level variability observed in the Indian Ocean tide ...
The influence of global decadal climate modes, such as PDO and AMO on the Indian Ocean decadal sea level variability (e.g. Deepa et al., 2019; Han et al., 2017 ...
[129]
Evidence for long‐term memory in sea level - AGU Journals - Wiley
Jul 12, 2014 · In the present study we have reassessed the role of internal climate variability on regional sea level rise. · The finding that sea levels ...<|separator|>
[130]
The Role of Anthropogenic Forcings on Historical Sea‐Level ...
Feb 29, 2024 · We evaluate the role of anthropogenic forcing in sea-level change in the historical (1950–2014) period in the Indo-Pacific warm pool region.Introduction · Data and Methods · Discussion · SummaryMissing: fraction | Show results with:fraction
[131]
Twentieth-Century Global-Mean Sea Level Rise: Is the Whole ...
Abstract. Confidence in projections of global-mean sea level rise (GMSLR) depends on an ability to account for GMSLR during the twentieth century.Missing: debate | Show results with:debate
[132]
Underlying drivers of decade-long fluctuation in the global mean sea ...
Dec 14, 2021 · Natural climate variability can mask the background trend of global mean sea-level (GMSL) caused by global warming. Recent advances in satellite ...
[133]
High tide of the warm Pliocene: Implications of global sea level for ...
May 1, 2012 · Statistical analysis indicates that it is likely (68% confidence interval) that peak sea level was 22 ± 5 m higher than modern, and extremely ...<|separator|>
[134]
[PDF] Paleo Constraints on Future Sea-Level Rise - Maureen E. Raymo
Jul 17, 2015 · We review relative sea-level (RSL) re- constructions from three time periods (the Pliocene, the Last. Interglacial period, and the Common Era) ...Missing: peer- | Show results with:peer-
[135]
Could the Last Interglacial Constrain Projections of Future Antarctic ...
Oct 5, 2020 · This study systematically explores the extent to which LIG constraints could inform future Antarctic contributions to sea-level rise.
[136]
Impact of paleoclimate on present and future evolution of the ...
Our results highlight that the present evolution of the GrIS is not only controlled by the recent climate changes, but is also affected by paleoclimate, ...
[137]
Exceptionally stable preindustrial sea level inferred from the western ...
Jun 29, 2022 · Statistical analysis indicates that sea level rose locally by 0.12 to 0.31 m (95% confidence) from 3.26 to 2.84 thousand years (ka) ago.<|control11|><|separator|>
[138]
Sea level rise acceleration (or not): Part II - The geological record
Jan 24, 2018 · During the past 20,000 years (the Holocene), since the end of the last glaciation, sea level has risen a total of about 120 m above modern ...
[139]
[PDF] Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice ...
A recent study by DeConto and. Pollard (2016) utilises simulations of the AIS during the LIG to constrain future sea-level projections. Despite recent ...
[140]
Chapter 9: Ocean, Cryosphere and Sea Level Change
This chapter assesses past and projected changes in the ocean, cryosphere and sea level using paleoreconstructions, instrumental observations and model ...
[141]
Sea Level Projection Tool
The NASA Sea Level Projection Tool allows users to visualize and download the sea level projection data from the IPCC 6th Assessment Report (AR6).
[142]
Evaluating IPCC Projections of Global Sea‐Level Change From the ...
Aug 22, 2025 · Three decades of satellite-based measurements of global sea-level change now enable such a comparison and show that early IPCC climate ...
[143]
Special Report on Sea Level Rise - Climate Etc.
Nov 27, 2018 · The likely range of projected sea level rise by the end of the 21st century is from 0.26 to 0.82 m [10 to 32 inches], depending on the emissions ...
[144]
[PDF] Sea Level and Climate Change
Feb 11, 2019 · The likely range of projected sea level rise by the end of the 21st century is from 0.26 to 0.82 m [10 to 32 inches], depending on the ...
[145]
Sea Level Projection Tool
Two low-confidence scenarios, indicating the potential effect of low-likelihood, high-impact ice sheet processes that cannot be ruled out, are also provided.
[146]
Challenges Beyond Dynamical Ice Sheet Modeling | Oceanography
Aug 16, 2018 · Ice sheet changes remain the most uncertain sources of future sea level rise: projected contributions for the year 2100 range from 21 cm to 1.3 m.
[147]
What does it mean to have “uncertainty” in sea level rise projections?
Ice Sheet and Glacier Dynamics: The behavior of ice sheets and glaciers, especially in Antarctica and Greenland, is one of the largest sources of uncertainty.
[148]
[PDF] An Update on Sea-Level Rise Science
At minimum, we recommend that sea-level rise projections be updated every five years, aligned with existing climate change assessment cycles, or when new data ...Missing: NIPCC | Show results with:NIPCC<|separator|>
[149]
Uncertainty in the projected Antarctic contribution to sea level due to ...
Feb 18, 2025 · Internal climate variability affects the Antarctic contribution to sea-level change until 2100 by 45 % to 93 % depending on the CMIP6 model.
[150]
https://esd.copernicus.org/articles/16/293/2025/
[151]
Future Sea-level Rise Is Certain, but the Amount and Speed Are ...
Oct 15, 2025 · The rate of SLR is accelerating and will continue to rise under all emissions scenarios well beyond the end of the 21st century (IPCC 2023). SLR ...