Is the detection of accelerated sea level rise imminent?
Abstract
Global mean sea level rise estimated from satellite altimetry provides a strong constraint on climate variability and change and is expected to accelerate as the rates of both ocean warming and cryospheric mass loss increase over time. In stark contrast to this expectation however, current altimeter products show the rate of sea level rise to have decreased from the first to second decades of the altimeter era. Here, a combined analysis of altimeter data and specially designed climate model simulations shows the 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo to likely have masked the acceleration that would have otherwise occurred. This masking arose largely from a recovery in ocean heat content through the mid to late 1990 s subsequent to major heat content reductions in the years following the eruption. As a result, a consequence of this finding is that barring another major volcanic eruption, a detectable acceleration is likely to emerge from the noise of internal climate variability in the coming decade.
- Authors:
-
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1363911
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0012711; AC02-05CH11231
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 6; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; climate and Earth system modelling; projection and prediction
Citation Formats
Fasullo, J. T., Nerem, R. S., and Hamlington, B.. Is the detection of accelerated sea level rise imminent?. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1038/srep31245.
Fasullo, J. T., Nerem, R. S., & Hamlington, B.. Is the detection of accelerated sea level rise imminent?. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep31245
Fasullo, J. T., Nerem, R. S., and Hamlington, B.. Wed .
"Is the detection of accelerated sea level rise imminent?". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep31245. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1363911.
@article{osti_1363911,
title = {Is the detection of accelerated sea level rise imminent?},
author = {Fasullo, J. T. and Nerem, R. S. and Hamlington, B.},
abstractNote = {Global mean sea level rise estimated from satellite altimetry provides a strong constraint on climate variability and change and is expected to accelerate as the rates of both ocean warming and cryospheric mass loss increase over time. In stark contrast to this expectation however, current altimeter products show the rate of sea level rise to have decreased from the first to second decades of the altimeter era. Here, a combined analysis of altimeter data and specially designed climate model simulations shows the 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo to likely have masked the acceleration that would have otherwise occurred. This masking arose largely from a recovery in ocean heat content through the mid to late 1990 s subsequent to major heat content reductions in the years following the eruption. As a result, a consequence of this finding is that barring another major volcanic eruption, a detectable acceleration is likely to emerge from the noise of internal climate variability in the coming decade.},
doi = {10.1038/srep31245},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
number = 1,
volume = 6,
place = {United States},
year = {2016},
month = {8}
}
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