A new assessment of the error budget of global mean sea level rate estimated by satellite altimetry over 1993–2008

Ablain, M.; Cazenave, Anny; Valladeau, G.; Guinehut, S.

doi:10.5194/os-5-193-2009

Cited by 228 publications

(185 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The uncertainty range (1 standard deviation) comes from fitting a linear trend to the data using uncertainties on the annual averages of 5 mm and is consistent with an updated error budget of altimeter sea-level trend uncertainties (Ablain et al 2009). They estimate the largest uncertainties are related to the wet tropospheric (atmospheric water vapour) correction, the bias uncertainty of successive missions, orbit uncertainty and the sea-state bias correction.…”

Section: Gmsl (Mm)supporting

confidence: 66%

Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century

Church¹,

White²

2011

The Earth's Cryosphere and Sea Level Change

330

496

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We estimate the rise in global average sea level from satellite altimeter data for 1993-2009 and from coastal and island sea-level measurements from 1880 to 2009 . For 1993-2009 and after correcting for glacial isostatic adjustment, the estimated rate of rise is 3.2 ± 0.4 mm year -1 from the satellite data and 2.8 ± 0.8 mm year -1 from the in situ data. 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 1.9 ± 0.4 mm year -1 . There is considerable variability in the rate of rise during the twentieth century but there has been a statistically significant acceleration since 1880 and 1900 of 0.009 ± 0.003 mm year -2 and 0.009 ± 0.004 mm year -2 , respectively. Since the start of the altimeter record in 1993, global average sea level rose at a rate near the upper end of the sea level projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Third and Fourth Assessment Reports. However, the reconstruction indicates there was little net change in sea level from 1990 to 1993, most likely as a result of the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.

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Section: Gmsl (Mm)supporting

confidence: 66%

Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century

Church¹,

White²

2011

The Earth's Cryosphere and Sea Level Change

330

496

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“…Recent studies based on these observations showed that sea level is rising at a global mean rate of 3.3 mm yr −1 since 1993 (e.g. Ablain et al, 2009;Cazenave and Llovel, 2010;Nerem et al, 2010). They showed as well that sea level does not rise uniformly but displays strong regional variability (see Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…It is a global, homogenous, intercalibrated dataset based on global crossover adjustment (Le Traon and Ogor, 1998) using Topex/Poseidon and then Jason 1 as reference missions. It is corrected for the long wavelength orbit errors , ocean tides, and wet/dry troposphere and ionosphere (see Ablain et al, 2009 for more details). The inverted barometer (IB) correction has also been applied in order to minimize aliasing effects (Volkov et al, 2007) through the MOG2D barotropic model correction that includes the dynamic ocean response to short period (<20 day) atmospheric wind and pressure forcing and the static IB correction at periods above 20 day (see Carrere and Lyard, 2003 for details).…”

Section: Satellite Altimetry Sea Level Data (1993-2009)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tropical Pacific spatial trend patterns in observed sea level: internal variability and/or anthropogenic signature?

et al. 2012

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Abstract. In this study we focus on the sea level trend pattern observed by satellite altimetry in the tropical Pacific over the 1993-2009 time span (i.e. 17 yr). Our objective is to investigate whether this 17-yr-long trend pattern was different before the altimetry era, what was its spatio-temporal variability and what have been its main drivers. We try to discriminate the respective roles of the internal variability of the climate system and of external forcing factors, in particular anthropogenic emissions (greenhouse gases and aerosols). On the basis of a 2-D past sea level reconstruction over 1950-2009 (based on a combination of observations and ocean modelling) and multi-century control runs (i.e. with constant, preindustrial external forcing) from eight coupled climate models, we have investigated how the observed 17-yr sea level trend pattern evolved during the last decades and centuries, and try to estimate the characteristic time scales of its variability. For that purpose, we have computed sea level trend patterns over successive 17-yr windows (i.e. the length of the altimetry record), both for the 60-yr long reconstructed sea level and the model runs. We find that the 2-D sea level reconstruction shows spatial trend patterns similar to the one observed during the altimetry era. The pattern appears to have fluctuated with time with a characteristic time scale of the order of 25-30 yr. The same behaviour is found in multicentennial control runs of the coupled climate models. A similar analysis is performed with 20th century coupled climate model runs with complete external forcing (i.e. solar plus volcanic variability and changes in anthropogenic forcing). Results suggest that in the tropical Pacific, sea level trend fluctuations are dominated by the internal variability of the ocean-atmosphere coupled system. While our analysis cannot rule out any influence of anthropogenic forcing, it concludes that the latter effect in that particular region is still hardly detectable.

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“…Cazenave and Nerem, 2004) was somewhat unexpected. Due to a careful monitoring of error sources (see Ablain et al, 2009 for a recent review) and a continuous validation with tide gauge observations (e.g. Mitchum, 1998), the global mean sea level variations can now be monitored from space with T/P and its successors Jason-1 and Jason-2.…”

Section: Topex/poseidon: Large-scale Variability Is Observed For the mentioning

confidence: 99%

From satellite altimetry to Argo and operational oceanography: three revolutions in oceanography

Traon

2013

Ocean Sci.

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Abstract. The launch of the French/US mission Topex/Poseidon (T/P) (CNES/NASA) in August 1992 was the start of a revolution in oceanography. For the first time, a very precise altimeter system optimized for largescale sea level and ocean circulation observations was flying. T/P alone could not observe the mesoscale circulation. In the 1990s, the ESA satellites ERS-1/2 were flying simultaneously with T/P. Together with my CLS colleagues, we demonstrated that we could use T/P as a reference mission for ERS-1/2 and bring the ERS-1/2 data to an accuracy level comparable to T/P. Near-real-time high-resolution global sea level anomaly maps were then derived. These maps have been operationally produced as part of the SSALTO/DUACS system for the last 15 yr. They are now widely used by the oceanographic community and have contributed to a much better understanding and recognition of the role and importance of mesoscale dynamics. Altimetry needs to be complemented with global in situ observations. At the end of the 90s, a major international initiative was launched to develop Argo, the global array of profiling floats. This has been an outstanding success. Argo floats now provide the most important in situ observations to monitor and understand the role of the ocean on the earth climate and for operational oceanography. This is a second revolution in oceanography. The unique capability of satellite altimetry to observe the global ocean in near-real-time at high resolution and the development of Argo were essential for the development of global operational oceanography, the third revolution in oceanography. The Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) was instrumental in the development of the required capabilities. This paper provides an historical perspective on the development of these three revolutions in oceanography which are very much interlinked. This is not an exhaustive review and I will mainly focus on the contributions we made together with many colleagues and friends.

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A new assessment of the error budget of global mean sea level rate estimated by satellite altimetry over 1993–2008

Cited by 228 publications

References 31 publications

Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century

Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century

Tropical Pacific spatial trend patterns in observed sea level: internal variability and/or anthropogenic signature?

From satellite altimetry to Argo and operational oceanography: three revolutions in oceanography

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