On the decadal rates of sea level change during the twentieth century
Geophysical Research Letters, 34 (1):
L01602+ (Jan 4, 2007)DOI: 10.1029/2006GL028492
Abstract
Nine long and nearly continuous sea level records were chosen from around the world to explore rates of change in sea level
for 1904–2003. These records were found to capture the variability found in a larger number of stations over the last half
century studied previously. Extending the sea level record back over the entire century suggests that the high variability
in the rates of sea level change observed over the past 20 years were not particularly unusual. The rate of sea level change
was found to be larger in the early part of last century (2.03 ± 0.35 mm/yr 1904–1953), in comparison with the latter part
(1.45 ± 0.34 mm/yr 1954–2003). The highest decadal rate of rise occurred in the decade centred on 1980 (5.31 mm/yr) with the
lowest rate of rise occurring in the decade centred on 1964 (−1.49 mm/yr). Over the entire century the mean rate of change
was 1.74 ± 0.16 mm/yr.