2003/06/27 by Walter Munk · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics #Climate variability and models #Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
paper · doi:10.1126/science.1085534
openalex publication_date 2003/06/27 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Global sea levels have been rising over the past century. It remains hotly debated, however, how fast this rise has been and which of the two causes--expansion of ocean waters due to warming, or freshwater input from the continents-has dominated. In his Perspective, [Munk][1] argues that a recent survey of global ocean salinity may point to a dominant contribution from freshwater input. He cautions, however, that uncertainties in sea ice melting rates and possible biases in tide gage data do not yet allow a definitive answer. Even with global satellite coverage, several decades of data will be required for good estimates of the role of global warming in sea level rise. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/300/5628/2041