Objectives of Work Package 3
Last edited 29 January 2004
WP3 - Decadal to inter-decadal sea level variations
Description of the decadal to inter-decadal sea level variations in
the North Atlantic, the semi-enclosed European Seas and on global
scale will be delivered as part of this workpackage. Based on
deliverables from WP1 and WP2 high-resolution description will be
given for the North Atlantic and adjacent European Seas while the
PSMSL database will be used to extend the description on global scale
with lower spatial resolution.
The tide gauge data will be combined with analysis of satellite
altimetry data to determine spatial and temporal characteristics of
sea level variations on interannual to decadal periods, and to
propagate the high spatial resolution of satellite altimetry to longer
time scales. An attempt will be made to combine tide gauge records,
satellite altimetry data and, possibly, models to get a clear picture
of the spatial and temporal sea level variations over the last 100 or
more years. The goal is to set up an empirical model describing the
sea level variations, with a temporal resolution of ten years, for the
last 100 years. Moreover, a goal is to determine secular trends (on
century time scales) at tide gauges decontaminated from decadal
variations. In order to provide the best possible altimetric trends,
an on-going calibration system for satellite radar altimetry will be
developed based on the use of European tide gauge and GPS stations.
This workpackage is research intensive, but the result will be a new
multi-purpose data set, which is of value for many other studies.