Publication Date:
2018-10-16
Description:
Globally averaged sea level has risen by just under 10 cm during the last 50 years as a consequence
of global warming. The rise, however, is not uniform, neither in time nor in space.
Natural climate fluctuations and associated changes in the ocean currents have contributed to
the inhomogeneity and is an important factor which will determine the pattern of future sea
level rise. While research in the past years has focused on the global-mean trend and its attribution
to the melting of glaciers and the thermal expansion of sea water under global warming,
attention is shifting to the geographical pattern of sea level change. This is essential for coastal
impact assessments, but has not been practical yet because ocean projections from current
climate models widely diverge. The improvement of regional sea level prediction requires a
better understanding of the underlying dynamical causes.
Type:
Article
,
NonPeerReviewed
Format:
text
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