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Mass contribution to Mediterranean Sea level variability for the period 1948–2000

Mass contribution to Mediterranean Sea level variability for the period 1948–2000
Mass contribution to Mediterranean Sea level variability for the period 1948–2000
The mass contribution to Mediterranean Sea level variability is estimated from steric-corrected altimetry and from GRACE observations for the period August 2002 to December 2006. The two signals are highly correlated (0.8) and display coherent trends, provided that a proper spatial averaging kernel is used to extract the gravity signal from GRACE coefficients (the same filter is applied to all fields in order to obtain consistent and comparable signals). The good agreement between GRACE observations and steric-corrected altimetry supports the quantification of the long-term mass contribution in terms of non-steric sea level in the Mediterranean. For the past decades, total sea level fields are reconstructed using a reduced-space optimal interpolation of altimetry and tide gauge data. The steric component is evaluated from hydrographic observations available for the same period for the upper 700 m. The errors associated with total sea level and the steric component are evaluated in order to obtain the uncertainty of non-steric sea level. Results indicate that the mass content of the Mediterranean basin has increased at a rate of 0.8 ± 0.1 mm/yr for the period 1948–2000. When the effect of the atmospheric pressure is removed, the trend of the mass component increases up to 1.2 ± 0.2 mm/yr.
Mediterranean Sea level, Mass contribution, Reconstruction, GRACE, Steric sea level
0921-8181
193-201
Calafat, F.M.
7c43d62a-c376-446c-93b4-87d4c1bd9d05
Marcos, M.
3cd7a6cd-def3-47a9-a7c4-7ef305fc0bf1
Gomis, D.
ef896bf2-de1e-48b2-8faa-c66f3f439f3c
Calafat, F.M.
7c43d62a-c376-446c-93b4-87d4c1bd9d05
Marcos, M.
3cd7a6cd-def3-47a9-a7c4-7ef305fc0bf1
Gomis, D.
ef896bf2-de1e-48b2-8faa-c66f3f439f3c

Calafat, F.M., Marcos, M. and Gomis, D. (2010) Mass contribution to Mediterranean Sea level variability for the period 1948–2000. Global and Planetary Change, 73 (3-4), 193-201. (doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2010.06.002).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The mass contribution to Mediterranean Sea level variability is estimated from steric-corrected altimetry and from GRACE observations for the period August 2002 to December 2006. The two signals are highly correlated (0.8) and display coherent trends, provided that a proper spatial averaging kernel is used to extract the gravity signal from GRACE coefficients (the same filter is applied to all fields in order to obtain consistent and comparable signals). The good agreement between GRACE observations and steric-corrected altimetry supports the quantification of the long-term mass contribution in terms of non-steric sea level in the Mediterranean. For the past decades, total sea level fields are reconstructed using a reduced-space optimal interpolation of altimetry and tide gauge data. The steric component is evaluated from hydrographic observations available for the same period for the upper 700 m. The errors associated with total sea level and the steric component are evaluated in order to obtain the uncertainty of non-steric sea level. Results indicate that the mass content of the Mediterranean basin has increased at a rate of 0.8 ± 0.1 mm/yr for the period 1948–2000. When the effect of the atmospheric pressure is removed, the trend of the mass component increases up to 1.2 ± 0.2 mm/yr.

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More information

Published date: September 2010
Keywords: Mediterranean Sea level, Mass contribution, Reconstruction, GRACE, Steric sea level
Organisations: Physical Oceanography

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 366328
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/366328
ISSN: 0921-8181
PURE UUID: 90210999-6c93-4cec-b30d-0404b0ab5652

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Date deposited: 24 Jun 2014 14:13
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 17:06

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Contributors

Author: F.M. Calafat
Author: M. Marcos
Author: D. Gomis

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