Sea-level rise mapped from satellite data

BBC : As part of the European Space Agency’s Climate Change Initiative , scientists have created a map showing the global annual average sea-level change from 1993 to 2010. The map is one outcome of an international collaboration to disseminate data gathered by satellites over the past two decades. Although the data show that ocean waters worldwide have been rising about 3 mm/yr on average, that figure hides some very big regional differences, both up and down, writes Jonathan Amos for the BBC. The Philippine Sea, for example, has seen increases of more than 10 mm/yr. Winds and sea-surface temperature can temporarily affect sea level in certain areas, according to the researchers. Because measuring ocean surface levels from satellites has such a relatively short history, more data will be needed for scientists to distinguish between normal, decadal variability and long-term sea-level change.