Regional tidal modeling on the European coast using tide gauges and satellite altimetry

Abstract

The study investigates sea-level measurements along the coastal area of Europe for the 60-year (1961–2020) time span. Linear and quadratic modeling of tide gauge measurements showed an almost positive rate of trend of sea-level rise (0.09 to 3.6 mm/yr) and low acceleration (−0.05 to 0.40 mm/yr2). A least-squares harmonic estimation tidal modeling was carried out to estimate frequency (cycles per day) for a certain period. The smaller and higher tidal frequencies of these stations indicate their stability in terms of their surface variation. We used the 1993–2020 satellite altimetry data from the nearest grid points of the tide gauge station. The correlation coefficient between observed and satellite altimetry (lowest 0.53 and highest 0.93) varies at each station. This happens because of many factors that can affect the large difference in the sea-level trend between the satellite-derived and tide gauge results. Finally, to implement a global reference system for physical heights, the offshore topographic slope direction and slope range with contour spacing from the sea to the associated coastline were analyzed using bathymetry data. The abrupt change in slope from the coastline toward the sea can be seen toward the east, west, and southeast on the European coast. This is also an important factor that affects the variation of sea level.