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Determination and characterization of 20th century global sea level rise

Kuo, Chung-Yen
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1133349892

Abstract Details

2005, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Geodetic Science and Surveying.
Sea level rise has been widely recognized as a measurable signal and as one of the consequences of possible anthropogenic (human-induced) effect of global climate change. The small rate of sea level rise signal, at 1-2 mm/yr during the last century [Church et al., 2001], could only be partially explained by a number of competing geophysical processes, each of which is a complex process within the Earth-atmosphere-ocean-cryosphere-hydrosphere system. In particular, the observed 20th Century sea level rise rate of 1.84±0.35 mm/yr [Douglas, 2001; Peltier, 2001] could not explain up to one half of the predicted 20th Century global sea level rise based on the IPCC TAR estimate of 1.1 mm/yr (0.6 mm/yr from melt water from ice sheets and glaciers, and 0.5 mm/yr from steric effect in the ocean) [Church et al., 2001] and remains an enigma [Munk, 2002]. The quest to resolve the controversy [Meier and Wahr, 2002] and to further understanding sea level change [Chao et al., 2002] is well underway during the current IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (FAR), 2003–2007. In this study, we provide a determination of the 20th Century global sea level rise, the associated error budgets, and the quantifications of the various geophysical sources of the observed sea level rise, using data and physical models. We analyzed significant geographical variations of the global sea level including those caused by steric component (heat and salinity) in the ocean, and the self-gravitational signal as a result of ice sheet melt including effect of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) since the Pleistocene. Altimeter and selected tide gauge sea level data have been used for the 20th Century sea level determination, accounting for relative biases between the altimeters, effects of sea level corresponding to oceanic thermal expansion, vertical motions affecting tide gauge measurements, self gravitations, and barotropic ocean response. This study is also characterized by the roles of the polar ocean in the global sea level study, and addressing the question whether there is a detectable sea level rise acceleration during the last decade.
C.K. Shum (Advisor)
SEA LEVEL; tide gauge; TOPEX/POSEIDON; thermosteric sea level

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kuo, C.-Y. (2005). Determination and characterization of 20th century global sea level rise [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1133349892

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kuo, Chung-Yen. Determination and characterization of 20th century global sea level rise. 2005. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1133349892.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kuo, Chung-Yen. "Determination and characterization of 20th century global sea level rise." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1133349892

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2005, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.