Economy
Sea level rising faster in past 20 years than in entire 20th century. Here comes El Nino …
*Pic: Howrah Beach, Hobart … where high tides are beginning to encroach …
A new study has found sea level rise accelerated faster in the past two decades than it did for the majority of the 20th century.
The report, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, corrected an anomaly that had puzzled the scientific community for years.
Satellite data dating back to 1993 appeared to show sea level rise accelerating in the 1990s and then slowing over the following decade.
Over the past five years, researchers from the University of Tasmania have been using tide gauges to check the satellite data.
Lead researcher Christopher Watson said they now thought they had the answer.
“Wherever there’s a tide gauge we’re able to compare that with the satellite altimeter record,” he said.
“Now, once we make a correction for how much land motion is at the tide gauge, or how much it’s moving up and down, we’re able to get a better picture of the really small inaccuracies within the altimeter record.”
He said the study suggested satellites marginally overestimated the rate of sea level rise in the first six years and that distorted the long-term picture.
•ABC: El Nino outlook a daunting prospect for farmers already in the grip of drought Farmers already experiencing a series of failed seasons are reeling from the Bureau of Meteorology’s official El Nino declaration. The Bureau says all models are pointing to a classic El Nino, which usually causes drought and warmer conditions in eastern Australia, particularly inland. It is also likely to result in an early and more extreme fire season and more frosts.