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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 32, L12602, doi:10.1029/2005GL023112, 2005

Thermosteric sea level rise, 1955–2003

J. I. Antonov

National Oceanographic Data Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA


S. Levitus

National Oceanographic Data Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA


T. P. Boyer

National Oceanographic Data Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA


Abstract

For the 1955–2003 period, the thermal expansion of the 0–700 m layer of the World Ocean contributed approximately 0.33 mm/year to global sea level rise. About half of this thermosteric trend is due to warming of the Atlantic Ocean. Approximately one third of the total thermosteric rise is due to the warming of the Pacific Ocean. For the period of available TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) satellite altimetry data (1993–2003), the linear trend of thermosteric sea level (0–700 m) is 1.23 mm/year, 60% of which is due to the trends in the Pacific Ocean. For the 0–3000 m layer of the entire World Ocean, the linear trend of thermosteric sea level is 0.40 mm/year for 1955–1959 through 1994–1998. For the 50°S–65°N region that we previously reported (Antonov et al., 2002) which was characterized by a 0.50 mm/year trend for 1955–1959 through 1992–1996, our new estimate is 0.47 mm/year for this same period.

Received 30 March 2005; accepted 16 May 2005; published 16 June 2005.

Index Terms: 1635 Global Change: Oceans (1616, 3305, 4215, 4513); 4215 Oceanography: General: Climate and interannual variability (1616, 1635, 3305, 3309, 4513); 4513 Oceanography: Physical: Decadal ocean variability (1616, 1635, 3305, 4215); 4556 Oceanography: Physical: Sea level: variations and mean (1222, 1225, 1641).

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Citation: Antonov, J. I., S. Levitus, and T. P. Boyer (2005), Thermosteric sea level rise, 1955–2003, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L12602, doi:10.1029/2005GL023112.