globalchange  > 气候变化事实与影响
DOI: doi:10.1038/nclimate2635
论文题名:
Unabated global mean sea-level rise over the satellite altimeter era
作者: Christopher S. Watson
刊名: Nature Climate Change
ISSN: 1758-921X
EISSN: 1758-7041
出版年: 2015-05-11
卷: Volume:5, 页码:Pages:565;568 (2015)
语种: 英语
英文关键词: Climate change ; Ocean sciences
英文摘要:

The rate of global mean sea-level (GMSL) rise has been suggested to be lower for the past decade compared with the preceding decade as a result of natural variability1, with an average rate of rise since 1993 of +3.2 ± 0.4 mm yr−1 (refs 2, 3). However, satellite-based GMSL estimates do not include an allowance for potential instrumental drifts (bias drift4, 5). Here, we report improved bias drift estimates for individual altimeter missions from a refined estimation approach that incorporates new Global Positioning System (GPS) estimates of vertical land movement (VLM). In contrast to previous results (for example, refs 6, 7), we identify significant non-zero systematic drifts that are satellite-specific, most notably affecting the first 6 years of the GMSL record. Applying the bias drift corrections has two implications. First, the GMSL rate (1993 to mid-2014) is systematically reduced to between +2.6 ± 0.4 mm yr−1 and +2.9 ± 0.4 mm yr−1, depending on the choice of VLM applied. These rates are in closer agreement with the rate derived from the sum of the observed contributions2, GMSL estimated from a comprehensive network of tide gauges with GPS-based VLM applied (updated from ref. 8) and reprocessed ERS-2/Envisat altimetry9. Second, in contrast to the previously reported slowing in the rate during the past two decades1, our corrected GMSL data set indicates an acceleration in sea-level rise (independent of the VLM used), which is of opposite sign to previous estimates and comparable to the accelerated loss of ice from Greenland and to recent projections2, 10, and larger than the twentieth-century acceleration2, 8, 10.

The satellite-era time series of GMSL is a seminal climate data record2, 3 that describes one of the most robust manifestations of climate change. Accurate estimates and projections of the rate of sea-level rise, and any acceleration or deceleration thereof are of major importance for evaluating model projections and for adaptation planning, particularly for low-lying highly populated, highly productive and environmentally sensitive areas11. The accuracy of these GMSL estimates from data over the past two decades is dependent on the determination of fixed and time-variable systematic errors within and between each of the three successive satellite altimeter missions (TOPEX/Poseidon12 (T/P), Jason-1 (ref. 13) and OSTM/Jason-2 (ref. 14)) used in GMSL studies. Validation of the record (often termed bias drift estimation; that is, estimating drift of the altimeter sea surface height system) requires comparison of the altimeter and tide gauge (TG) sea levels over a network of TG sites (for example, refs 5, 6, 7). This approach has been used previously to successfully diagnose algorithm and instrumental errors4, 15, 16 and, after correction, drift estimates have been small and have not been used to further adjust (or calibrate) the observational records3. However, past implementations of this approach have limitations dominated by uncertainty in their adopted VLM at TGs (refs 5, 7). The validation is also sensitive to a typically poor spatial distribution of suitable TGs, and earthquake deformation at individual TGs (ref. 17).

Here we develop an alternative method that addresses these limitations. We expand the network of TGs used (with respect to that used by ref. 7) by a factor of ~2 to 96 TGs (Fig. 1), using high-rate hourly data. Unlike previous work5, 6, for each TG we compute bias drift and residual ocean tide at multiple offshore comparison points (CPs) for each satellite pass, using up to the maximum of four passes surrounding each TG. We correct bias drift estimates for VLM using new data from the expanding network of GPS stations co-located with or near to TGs. These VLM trends are derived from homogeneously reprocessed GPS data (updated from ref. 18), or where they are not available, we use VLM derived from a model of glacial isostatic adjustment19 (GIA) combined with estimates of present-day elastic effects derived from the GRACE mission20. Accurate GPS estimates of VLM are preferable to those from GIA models as GIA is only one component of VLM, and, for many TGs, may not be the dominant signal18. Of our final TGs, 69% have one or more GPS estimates of VLM within 100 km (see Supplementary Methods). We model co-seismic earthquake deformation to exclude TGs with vertical motion above a specified threshold (Fig. 1) and use a data-driven weighting strategy aimed at reducing sensitivity to TG data contaminated by nonlinear VLM or unresolved datum errors. We apply these advances to the most recently updated altimeter data set (1993 to mid-2014) that is processed as homogeneously as possible, with each mission using consistent orbits (see Methods), with respect to the same reference frame as the GPS-derived estimates of VLM (ITRF2008; ref. 21).

Figure 1: Map of the initial 122 TGs used in this analysis.
Map of the initial 122 TGs used in this analysis.

Additional quality control procedures (for example, obvious nonlinear VLM) eliminate TGs shown in black, and the earthquake threshold eliminates TGs in blue. The remaining TGs in red are used for bias drift estimation. Distributions by mission are shown in Supplementary Fig. 2.

We use hourly TG data from an expanded network of 122 TGs. Preference is given to the records commencing at, or before, the launch of T/P (August 1992). Of the initial TGs, 77% meet this threshold, 97% commenced before the switch between T/P side A and B (February, 1999) and 83% run for 20 years or longer. See Supplementary Methods for further description.

Altimeter sea surface height (SSH) is derived using 1-Hz along-track GDR altimeter data from T/P, Jason-1 and OSTM/Jason-2. For the T/P mission, we limit our analysis to TOPEX data given limited utilization of the Poseidon altimeter, and we treat TOPEX side A and side B as separate independent missions. We commence our processing using all available MGDR-B (ref. 30) and GDR-C (ref. 27) data for T/P and Jason-1 respectively, and GDR-D (ref. 28) data for OSTM/Jason-2, for the period 1993 to mid-2014. We process using the standard edits and checks as provided in the relevant product documentation27, 28, 30, including corrections for the TOPEX and Jason microwave radiometers29, 31. See Supplementary Methods for detail on the different sea-state bias models, orbit products, and corrections applied for solid Earth deformation.

Our VLM trends are an update of those of ref. 18, using an identical analysis strategy but making use of GPS sites within public archives and up to 100 km from each of the TGs. Data spanning from 1995 to mid-2013 were homogeneously analysed to derive daily time series. We estimated the linear trend simultaneously with annual and semi-annual periodic terms, offsets and appropriate treatment of time series autocorrelation (see Supplementary Methods). We assume that the linear motion is representative of the VLM over the duration of the altimeter period, despite different data durations at each site. Sites that exhibit clear nonlinear VLM (for example, due to ground water extraction or elastic rebound associated with nearby ice mass loss) are flagged for exclusion. We include sites with at least 1.5 years of data, but include only estimates of VLM that are well resolved with uncertainties less than 1 mm yr−1 (effectively limiting the number of sites with VLM estimated from short records).

Given that a TG may have multiple GPS sites located within 100 km, we compute a weighted mean of the GPS VLM. The weights are chosen with the aim of achieving a reasonable balance between GPS VLM uncertainty and the distance from each GPS to the TG (see Supplementary Methods). Where GPS velocities were not available (Supplementary Fig. 1), we interpolated predicted VLM due to GIA to TG locations from the ICE-5Gv1.3_2012 (VM2) model19. We also test the sum of the GIA VLM trend estimates from this model with those trends derived from the Earth’s elastic response to present-day mass trends determined over the period 2003–2013 using data from the GRACE mission (updated from ref. 20, and linearly extrapolated over the altimeter period). We adopt a nominal uncertainty of ±1 mm yr−1 for GIA VLM estimates, slightly larger than the mean GPS uncertainty. See Supplementary Methods for further detail regarding the reference frame and treatment of the time period used in the GPS analysis.

For each TG, we identify multiple altimeter passes followed by multiple offshore CPs per pass, each separated by 20 km along the nominal ground track, out to a threshold distance of 230 km from the TG. Instantaneous altimeter SSH is linearly interpolated to the CP, noting the across-track distance to the nominal ground track. For each CP, we form the altimeter minus TG difference (corrected for VLM), which contains contributions from a number of signals including the altimeter bias drift (equation (1)).

where Offset is a constant intercept term at time t = t0Alt; Drift is the altimeter bias drift term (linear with time, t); Ai, fi, Φi are amplitude, frequency and phase of the ith harmonic tidal constituents; SSHSlope accounts for the SSH slope induced by the ~1 km variation in the satellite ground track location (linear with across-track distance (d)); and ε represents residual error that includes contributions from altimeter and TG noise and unmodelled sea-level variability between the CP and TG. We estimate the terms shown in equation (1) allowing for mission-specific time-correlated noise that is factored into the drift uncertainty, σDriftCPAlt, subsequently used as a weight to calculate the final ensemble average bias drift estimate for each mission. We exclude CPs from TGs that exhibit nonlinear VLM or are within an earthquake deformation threshold derived from modelling of co-seismic displacements and source data from a global earthquake catalogue. See Supplementary Methods for further detail.

To derive a GMSL curve adjusted for the effects of bias drift, we apply the bias drift and relative bias estimates to each mission in a piecewise linear fashion. Uncertainty estimates for bias drift (all 1 sigma throughout) consider the effective number of degrees of freedom derived from the number of TGs (and not CPs) included in the solution. Uncertainty estimates on our adjusted GMSL trend and acceleration incorporate uncertainties in the reference frame as well as the bias drift estimation (determined using a Monte Carlo approach with 10,000 iterations) and are in close agreement with other studies6, 7. See Supplementary Methods for further discussion.

  1. Cazenave, A. et al. The rate of sea-level rise. Nature Clim. Change 4, 358361 (2014).
  2. Church, J. A. et al. in Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis (eds Stocker, T. F. et al.) Ch. 13 (IPCC, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2013)
  3. Masters, D. et al. Comparison of global mean sea level time series from TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, and Jason-2. Mar. Geod. 35, 2041 (2012).
  4. Fu, L. L. & Haines, B. J. The challenges in long-term altimetry calibration for addressing the problem of global sea level change. Adv. Space Res. 51, 12841300 (2013).
  5. Mitchum, G. T. An improved calibration of satellite altimetric heights using tide gauge sea levels with adjustment for land motion. Mar. Geod. 23, 145166 (2000).
  6. Ablain, M., Cazenave, A., Valladeau, G. & Guinehut, S. A new assessment of the error budget of global Mean Sea Level rate estimated by satellite altimetry over 1993–2008. Ocean Sci. 5, 193201 (2009).
  7. Mitchum, G. T., Nerem, R., Merrifield, M. A. & Gehrels, W. R. in Understanding Sea-Level Rise and Variability (eds Church, J. A., Woodworth, P. L., Aarup, T. & Stanley Wilson, W.) 122142 Ch. 5, (Wiley–Blackwell, 2010).
  8. Church, J. A. & White, N. J. Sea-level rise from the late 19th to the early 21st century. Surv. Geophys. 3
URL: http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v5/n6/full/nclimate2635.html
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资源类型: 期刊论文
标识符: http://119.78.100.158/handle/2HF3EXSE/4749
Appears in Collections:气候变化事实与影响
科学计划与规划
气候变化与战略

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Christopher S. Watson. Unabated global mean sea-level rise over the satellite altimeter era[J]. Nature Climate Change,2015-05-11,Volume:5:Pages:565;568 (2015).
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