Figures marked "CSIRO", are copyright CSIRO, but please feel free to use them, conditional on the figures not being altered, and their source being acknowledged, and with a link to this site where possible. All other figures are copyright. Please do not copy without the owner's permission.
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We love the coast. Coastal regions, particularly some low-lying river deltas, have very high population densities. In excess of 150 million people live within 1 metre of high tide level, and 250 million within 5 metres of high tide. There are billions of dollars invested in coastal infrastructure immediately adjacent to the coast. Many of the world's mega cities (populations of many millions) are on the coast. Sea level is rising as a result of increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Sea level rise contributes to coastal erosion and inundation of low-lying coastal regions, particularly during extreme sea level events. It also leads to saltwater intrusion into aquifers, deltas and estuaries. These changes impact on coastal ecosystems, water resources, and human settlements and activities. Regions at most risk include heavily populated deltaic regions, small islands (especially coral atolls), and sandy coasts backed by major coastal developments. On this web site, we attempt to bring together information on sea level rise and its causes. We also include our estimates of global and regional sea level, links to other web pages and data sets and a list of our publications.
Photos: Bruce Miller, 2006 VACANCY - We are currently hiring a research scientist whose role will be to advance the science of the estimation of regional sea-level rise with a focus on (but not limited to) the South Pacific Ocean. Using analyses from global coupled models they will help design and run idealised climate simulations and help build Australia's climate model. See CSIRO Careers web site for further information. Applications close on the 27th of November 2009. PLEASE NOTE that the closing date for this position has been extended. There may have been some problems with our online recruitment system. If you have already submitted an application, and want to make sure that it has been received please contact Neil White.
Our most recent estimate of changes in global averaged sea level since 1993 are estimated from satellite altimeter data (red) and since 1870 by combining in situ sea level data from coastal tide gauges and the spatial patterns of variability determined from satellite altimeter data (blue). Note that error bars have not been shown for the altimeter data (red curve) for clarity, but are about ±5 mm. CLICK HERE to download a print-quality pdf (66KB) of this figure. |
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Website owner: Neil White | Last modified 3/11/09
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