ECCO Global Mean Sea Level: Monthly Averages from 1992 to 2018

Global monthly-averaged mean sea level data from the ECCO Version 4 Release 4 ocean and sea-ice state estimate. The dataset is a dynamically consistent reconstruction produced by NASA, covering the period from 1992-01-01 to 2018-01-01. It integrates observations from multiple satellite altimeters, radiometers, gravimeters, and in-situ oceanographic programs.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term sea level rise trends based on monthly global mean values.
• Validating ocean circulation models against the ECCO state estimate's integrated observational constraints.
• Correlating sea level changes with climate indices using the 26-year temporal coverage.
• Assimilating historical sea level data into predictive climate models.

Strengths

• Integrates multiple observational constraints including satellite altimetry, sea surface temperature, salinity, and in-situ measurements.
• Covers a 26-year period from 1992 to 2018, providing a substantial time series for climate analysis.
• Produced by NASA using the MIT general circulation model (MITgcm) fit to observations in a least-squares sense.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data ends in 2018; freshness should be verified for current climate studies.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Dynamically and kinematically-consistent reconstruction (state estimate) from the MITgcm, fit to multiple observational datasets in a least-squares sense.

Time Range

1992-01-01 to 2018-01-01

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:05:07.403374; freshness should be verified

Geography

Global