Reconstructed Global Mean Sea Level and Contributions 1900-2018

HOMAGE project data reconstructs global-mean sea level evolution and its contributing processes from 1900 to 2018. The reconstruction uses annual-mean tide-gauge observations aggregated via the virtual-station method, with contributions from thermosteric changes, glacier mass, Greenland/Antarctic ice sheets, and terrestrial water storage. Estimates combine GRACE satellite observations (2003-2018) with long-term in-situ data and models, providing confidence bounds for the planetary sea level budget.

Use Cases

• Attributing historical sea-level rise to specific components like glacier melt or thermal expansion.
• Validating and calibrating climate model projections of future sea-level change.
• Analyzing long-term trends in ocean heat content and mass redistribution.
• Assessing the uncertainty of global sea-level estimates using provided confidence bounds.

Strengths

• Provides a 119-year continuous reconstruction (1900-2018) of global mean sea level.
• Integrates multiple data sources, including tide gauges, GRACE satellite data, and in-situ profiles.
• Includes quantified uncertainty estimates (5th and 95th percentile confidence bounds).
• Peer-reviewed and corresponds to data published in a 2020 Nature article.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not provided in the available metadata.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates between platforms (2018 vs. 2026) create ambiguity about data currency.
• Sparse metadata; row counts, file sizes, and specific column definitions are unknown.

Provenance

Source

Heat and Ocean Mass from Gravity ESDR (HOMAGE) project, funded by NASA's MeASUREs-2017 program.

Collection Method

Reconstruction based on tide-gauge observations (virtual-station method), GRACE satellite data, in-situ models, and temperature profiles.

Time Range

1900 to 2018

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: one source lists 2018 12 31, another lists 2026 04 09.

Geography

Global