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New Tide-Gauge Study Challenges Faster Sea-Level Rise Estimates

A peer-reviewed tide-gauge analysis reports an average 1.5 millimeters per year in 2020 based on century-scale coastal records.

Overview

  • Published on Aug. 27 in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, the study by Hessel G. Voortman and Rob de Vos compiles long-term records from selected coastal stations.
  • The authors report that about 95% of suitable locations show no statistically significant acceleration in sea-level rise.
  • The analysis argues that IPCC projections run ahead of observed local trends and attributes faster increases at a minority of sites to local, non-climatic factors.
  • The usable station set is concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere with gaps near Australia, northeast Latin America, East Asia and much of Africa.
  • Conservative outlets and policy advocates are promoting the findings, and coverage notes the authors describe the research as receiving no government or industry funding.