Reconstructed Sea Level: Global Anomalies from 1950 to 2009

Combining satellite altimetry since 1993 with tide gauge records dating back to 1807, this dataset reconstructs weekly sea level anomalies at half-degree resolution from 1950 to 2009. It uses cyclostationary empirical orthogonal functions (CSEOFs) to merge the near-global coverage of satellites with the long historical record of tide gauges. The result addresses the spatial and temporal limitations inherent in each individual data source.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term sea level rise trends based on the 60-year reconstructed time series.
• Studying regional patterns of sea level variability using the half-degree spatial grid.
• Validating climate model outputs for historical ocean dynamics based on the weekly temporal resolution.
• Investigating the methodological differences between CSEOF and traditional EOF-based reconstructions.

Strengths

• Provides a 60-year continuous record (1950-2009), combining the strengths of two measurement systems.
• Offers near-global spatial coverage at a half-degree resolution, overcoming the regional limitation of tide gauges.
• Uses an advanced reconstruction technique (CSEOFs) detailed in the cited Hamlington et al. 2011 publication.

Limitations

• Metadata for specific columns, row counts, and file sizes is unavailable across all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2009 vs. 2026) suggest potential metadata or hosting inconsistencies.
• The dataset's temporal coverage ends in 2009, limiting analysis of recent sea level changes.

Provenance

Source

POCLOUD (as listed on one platform entry).

Collection Method

Sea level reconstruction combining satellite altimetry and historical tide gauge measurements using Cyclostationary Empirical Orthogonal Functions (CSEOFs).

Time Range

1950 to 2009

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:04:03.596849

Geography

Near-global coverage.