The Dominant Global Modes of Recent Internal Sea Level Variability. Issue 4 (23rd April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hamlington, B. D.; Cheon, S. H.; Piecuch, C. G.; Karnauskas, K. B.; Thompson, P. R.; Kim, K.‐Y.; Reager, J. T.; Landerer, F. W.; Frederikse, T.
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 124:Issue 4(2019)
• Page Start: 2750
• Page End: 2768
• Publication Date: 2019-04-23
• Subjects: sea level -- regional -- global -- variability; Oceanography -- Periodicals; 551.4605
• DOI: 10.1029/2018JC014635
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-9275

Abstract

Abstract: The advances in the modern sea level observing system have allowed for a new level of knowledge of regional and global sea level in recent years. The combination of data from satellite altimeters, Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, and Argo profiling floats has provided a clearer picture of the different contributors to sea level change, leading to an improved understanding of how sea level has changed in the present and, by extension, may change in the future. As the overlap between these records has recently extended past a decade in length, it is worth examining the extent to which internal variability on timescales from intraseasonal to decadal can be separated from long‐term trends that may be expected to continue into the future. To do so, a combined modal decomposition based on cyclostationary empirical orthogonal functions is performed simultaneously on the three data sets, and the dominant shared modes of variability are analyzed. Modes associated with the trend, seasonal signal, El Niño–Southern Oscillation, and Pacific decadal oscillation are extracted and discussed, and the relationship between regional patterns of sea level change and their associated global signature is highlighted. Key Points: Intraseasonal to decadal variability has a significant impact on global and regional sea level The modern observing system provides the opportunity to separate contributions on intraseasonal to decadal timescales By finding the dominant modes of recent sea level variability, an improved understanding of regional and global sea level is obtained