Polar Explorer - LDEO of Columbia University

What Is Sea Level?
- Shorelines
- Elevations beneath the sea
- The Surface of the sea is not flat
Why Does Sea Level Change?
- What is the role of the ocean?
  - Internal ocean temperature(present)
  - Internal ocean temperature(1955 - 2012)
  - Internal ocean heat content(1955 - 2012)
  - Expansion caused by ocean warming
  - Expansion influenced by salinity
  - Sea level trends(1955 - 2012)
  - Ocean surface temperature(past week)
  - Ocean surface temperature(past year)
- What is the role of the atmosphere?
  - Temperature change(25 years)
  - Temperature change(5 years)
  - Net solar radiation(monthly)
  - Accumulated rainfall(2013 - 2015)
- What about contributions from glaciers?
  - Glaciers larger than 50km²
  - Contributions from regional mountain glaciers
  - Changes in elevations of Greenland glaciers
- What about contributions from ice sheets?
  - Greenland ice sheet elevations
  - Surface elevation change of Greenland ice sheet
  - Antarctic ice sheet thickness
  - Surface elevation change of Antarctic ice sheet
- What else influences sea level?
  - Ongoing post-glacial rebound(North America)
  - Post-glacial rebound hinge line
  - Ongoing post-glacial rebound(Canada)
Where Is Sea Level Rising?
- Tide stations recording rising and falling
- Regional trends in sea level
- Regions vulnerable to future coastal flooding
What About The Polar Regions?
- Greenland ice sheet thickness
- A look under the Greenland ice sheet
- Annual surface melt of the Greenland ice sheet
- Velocity of the Greenland ice sheet
- Surface elevation change of the Greenland Ice Sheet
- Antarctic ice sheet thickness
- A look under the Antarctic ice sheet
- Surface elevation change of the Antarctic ice sheet
- Velocity of the Antarctic ice sheet
What About Climate In The Past?
- What about before 1700 AD?
  - Preindustrial air temperature
  - Preindustrial sea surface temperature
  - Preindustrial sea surface salinity
  - Preindustrial precipitation
  - Preindustrial evaporation
  - Preindustrial ice thickness
  - Preindustrial ice concentration
- What about the Holocene period?(~11,700 BP)
  - Mid-Holocene air temperature
  - Mid-Holocene sea surface temperature
  - Mid-Holocene sea surface salinity
  - Mid-Holocene precipitation
  - Mid-Holocene evaporation
  - Mid-Holocene ice thickness
  - Mid-Holocene ice concentration
- What about ~125,000 years ago?(Eemian period)
  - Eemian air temperature
  - Eemian sea surface temperature
  - Eemian sea surface salinity
  - Eemian precipitation
  - Eemian evaporation
  - Eemian ice thickness
  - Eemian ice concentration
- What about deglaciation 20k-5k years ago?
  - Deglaciation of North America
  - Deglaciation of Europe
  - Eurasian Ice Sheet 20,000 years ago
What Are Future Predictions For Sea Level?
- Sea level rise
- Sea level confidence
- Vulnerability to sea level rise
- Coastal marshes subject to flooding
- Coastal flood frequency
Who Is At Risk?
- Population density(persons/kmA₂)
- The human impact on Earth
- Ocean atolls in danger submersion
- Who is in the path of hurricanes?
  - Hurricane frequency(events every 20 years)
  - Tracks of past hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones
  - US hurricane landfall frequency
  - Mortality from hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones
  - Fiscal loss from hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones
  - Deadliest tropical cyclones
- Who is at risk from floods?
  - Flood count
  - Flood economic loss
  - Flood proportional Economic loss
  - Flood mortality
- Who is at risk from earthquakes?
  - Earthquake magnitudes(1973 - 2009)
  - Earthquakes past 30 days(>M4.5)
  - Strongest earthquakes since 1900
  - Deadliest earthquakes since 1900
- Who is at risk from tsunami?
  - Fatalities from Pacific Ocean tsunami
  - Mediterranean Sea tsunami
  - Caribbean Sea tsunami
- Who is at riskfrom storm surge?
  - Storm surges since 1880
  - Gulf of Mexico storm surges
  - Storm surge predictions
  - Surge heights with hurricane tracks

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Data Source: CU-LDEO

Data Source: CU-LDEO

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This material is based upon work supported by
the National Science Foundation under
Cooperative Agreement No. DUE-1239783.

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