Sessions

• Paleo Sea Level

This session will focus on archives of past sea level changes, including from sediments and microfossils (diatoms and foraminifera) from salt-marshes, speleothems (cave deposits), corals and chemical composition of marine plankton shells (foraminifera) contained in sediment cores. Special attention will be given to: (1) the question of how representative proxies are with respect to global mean sea level and whether they can detect regional variations; (2) understanding interglacials, periods of warmer climates with reduced ice-sheet volume, when sea levels were higher than today – as they provide a unique real-world testing suite for examining how ice-sheet volume and sea level respond to different climate states; (3) using pale sea level data to improve projections of plausible future sea-level change over the 21st century.

 

• Vertical Land Movements

This session will focus on how vertical land movements from both natural geological (i.e. glacial isostatic adjustment, tectonics) and anthropogenic (i.e. ground water extraction) processes influence the understanding and interpretation of sea level changes on regional and global levels. The session will cover both modelling and observation (i.e through GNSS) studies.

 

• Mean Sea Level Observations and Processes

This session will focus on studies of sea level that have assessed records from tide gauges, satellite altimetry and/or spatial gravimetry across any time scale and at global, regional or local scales. Special emphasis will be given to investigations focusing on understanding and interprettting the different contributors to sea level variability from associated observations (ocean bottom pressure, wind stress, hydrographic measurements, etc.) and attributing past regional and global sea level variability to physical processes. Studies on reconstruction techniques that combine tide gauge records with either satellite altimetry or model data are also welcome.

 

•  Modelling Sea Level Changes

This session will focus on studies that have used numerical models to reproduce, understand and/or project sea level rise and variability on global, regional or local scales. In particular we welcome investigations that have: (1) assessed the robustness and uncertainties in the current climate models; (2) attempted to close the sea level budget; (3) compared regional and global climate models and examined their ability to model coastal sea level changes on decadal timescales. Both process-based and semi-empirical modelling studies are welcome.

 

•  Sea Level Extremes

This session will focus on extreme sea levels and coastal flooding, including studies that have used numerical models or assessed high frequency sea level observations. Special attention will be given to contributions dealing with the probability of occurrence of different components affecting extreme sea levels and how these can be integrated into numerical modelling (e.g. tropical/extra-tropical cyclones). We also welcome discussions on how to integrate long-term mean sea level and storm variability (seasonal to centennial) into storm surge models.

 

• Coastal Impacts of Sea Level Changes

This session will focus on the impacts of sea level rise and variability and extreme events and what appropriate adaption measures might be. We welcome studies that have assessed impacts on local to global scales across a range of different areas, including: flood risk analysis; simulation of saltwater intrusion into surface and ground waters; and coastal erosion. Particular focus will be on the value of hydrodynamic flood modelling for flood risk assessment, and major challenges in its implementation and application.

 

• Special session on Mediterranean sea level

This session, co-hosted by MonGOOS and EMODNET-Physics, will focus on the status of sea level monitoring and science on the Mediterranean.

Presentations will be focused on reviewing the recent advances in the area and reviewing the existing gaps, providing a background for further discussion and collaboration. Special focus will be made in the integration of existing tide gauge data, specially those provided by Northern African Countries. Sea level networks, forecast systems and climate studies will be reviewed by Keynote Speaker, Begoña Pérez Gómez, from Puertos del Estado (Spain). Afterwards, presentations will be arranged in two different topics:  tide gauge networks on the region and applications derived from the data. Contributions are expected for tsunamis, storm surge and meteotsunamis and sea level trends and climate.