Open AccessLa Niña caused global sea level drop
Author(s) -
Balcerak Ernie
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2012eo500013
Subject(s) - sea level , el niño southern oscillation , climatology , precipitation , environmental science , sea surface temperature , oceanography , la niña , geology , drop (telecommunication) , atmospheric sciences , geography , meteorology , telecommunications , computer science
The 2011 La Niña was so strong that it caused global mean sea level to drop by 5 millimeters, a new study shows. Since the early 1990s, sea level has been rising by about 3 millimeters per year, satellite data show. But between the beginning of 2010 and the middle of 2011, sea level fell by 5 millimeters. This occurred concurrently with the La Niña phase of the El Niño– Southern Oscillation (ENSO). ENSO involves a shift in ocean surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific and changes in precipitation patterns around the world. Previous studies have shown that strong El Niño events can increase sea level temporarily.