Sea level in the Mediterranean: A first step towards separating crustal movements and absolute sea-level variations

Zerbini, S; Plag, H-P; Baker, T; Becker, M; Billiris, H; Burki, B; Kahle, H-G; Marson, I; Pezzoli, L; Richter, B; Romagnoli, C; Sztobryn, M; Tomasi, P; Tsimplis, M; Veis, G; Verrone, G

dc.contributor.author	Zerbini, S	en
dc.contributor.author	Plag, H-P	en
dc.contributor.author	Baker, T	en
dc.contributor.author	Becker, M	en
dc.contributor.author	Billiris, H	en
dc.contributor.author	Burki, B	en
dc.contributor.author	Kahle, H-G	en
dc.contributor.author	Marson, I	en
dc.contributor.author	Pezzoli, L	en
dc.contributor.author	Richter, B	en
dc.contributor.author	Romagnoli, C	en
dc.contributor.author	Sztobryn, M	en
dc.contributor.author	Tomasi, P	en
dc.contributor.author	Tsimplis, M	en
dc.contributor.author	Veis, G	en
dc.contributor.author	Verrone, G	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T01:12:15Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T01:12:15Z
dc.date.issued	1996	en
dc.identifier.issn	0921-8181	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/12033
dc.subject	Climate Change	en
dc.subject	Environmental Impact	en
dc.subject	Long-term Trend	en
dc.subject	Mediterranean Basin	en
dc.subject	Reference Systems	en
dc.subject	Relative Sea Level	en
dc.subject	Seasonal Cycle	en
dc.subject	Spatial Coherence	en
dc.subject	Spatial Scale	en
dc.subject	Tide Gauge	en
dc.subject	European Community	en
dc.subject	Sea Level	en
dc.subject	Water Vapor Radiometer	en
dc.subject.classification	Geography, Physical	en
dc.subject.classification	Geosciences, Multidisciplinary	en
dc.subject.other	air pressure	en
dc.subject.other	altimetry	en
dc.subject.other	global warming	en
dc.subject.other	sea level change	en
dc.subject.other	seasonality	en
dc.subject.other	tide gauge	en
dc.subject.other	Mediterranean Sea	en
dc.title	Sea level in the Mediterranean: A first step towards separating crustal movements and absolute sea-level variations	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.identifier.primary	10.1016/0921-8181(96)00003-3	en
heal.identifier.secondary	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0921-8181(96)00003-3	en
heal.language	English	en
heal.publicationDate	1996	en
heal.abstract	The SELF (SEa Level Fluctuations: geophysical interpretation and environmental impact) project has been developed and realized in the framework of the Environment Programme designed by the Commission of the European Communities. The SELF project was aimed at providing a reliable base for the determination, in the Mediterranean area, of sea-level variations which could then be used as a possible indicator of climate changes and to study the interactions taking place among the ocean, the atmosphere and the solid Earth. The project has made it possible to define a consistent network of well-established tide gauges encompassing the Mediterranean Basin as far as the Black Sea and to determine to centimeter accuracy the tide gauge benchmark heights in a global well-defined reference system such as the one provided by the SLR/VLBI space techniques. The SELF network constitutes, for the Mediterranean, the necessary prerequisite towards achieving the actual capability to separate vertical crustal movements from true sea-level variations, This has been accomplished through the use of space techniques namely SLR, VLBI and GPS in conjunction with Water Vapor Radiometer observations and absolute gravity measurements. The analysis of the available tide gauge records has shown a high spatial coherence of the annual to multidecadal sea-level variability. Sea-level fluctuations at periods longer than two months were found to be strongly correlated with air pressure, The seasonal cycle was found to be variable in time. Relative sea-level trends determined from records longer than 30 years are less than 1.5 mm/yr. Crustal movement rates as determined from the tide gauge records are in general of the order +/- 1.0 mm/yr. The geological observations have shed light on the fact that a marked variability of crustal movements occurs on both the temporal and spatial scale, and it represents a major contribution to relative sea-level fluctuations. This fact has been verified for the selected sector which belongs to one of the more geodynamically active areas of the Central Mediterranean (Aeolian Archipelago). However, this work has shown that, at least at the tide gauges included in the present study, crustal movements are small compared to the decadal to multidecadal sea-level variability but of the same order as the long-term trend in sea level, thus necessitating a careful monitoring if crustal movement is to be separated from the oceanographic contribution to relative sea-level changes.	en
heal.publisher	ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV	en
heal.journalName	Global and Planetary Change	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1016/0921-8181(96)00003-3	en
dc.identifier.isi	ISI:A1996VC76200001	en
dc.identifier.volume	14	en
dc.identifier.issue	1-2	en
dc.identifier.spage	1	en
dc.identifier.epage	48	en