Extending Instrumental Sea-Level Records Using Coral Microatolls, an Example From Southeast Asia

J. M. Majewski; A. J. Meltzner; A. D. Switzer; T. A. Shaw; T. Li; S. Bradley; J. S. Walker; R. E. Kopp; D. Samanta; D. H. Natawidjaja; B. W. Suwargadi; B. P. Horton

doi:10.1029/2021GL095710

Extending Instrumental Sea-Level Records Using Coral Microatolls, an Example From Southeast Asia

J. M. Majewski^*, A. J. Meltzner, A. D. Switzer, T. A. Shaw, T. Li, S. Bradley, J. S. Walker, R. E. Kopp, D. Samanta, D. H. Natawidjaja, B. W. Suwargadi, B. P. Horton

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The small number of reliable long-term (i.e., >50 yrs) tide gauges in tropical locations is a major source of uncertainty in modern sea-level change. Coral microatolls record relative sea-level (RSL) change over their lifetimes and have the potential to extend the instrumental record. Here, we examined a 20th and 21st century RSL record from two living coral microatolls from Mapur Island, Indonesia, which produced 16 sea-level index points. We validated and combined the living coral microatoll data with tide gauge data to show RSL at Mapur Island was 0.0 ± 1.6 mm/yr (2σ) from 1915 to 1990 and 1.0 ± 2.1 mm/yr (2σ) from 1990 to 2019. Through the addition of microatoll RSL data we extended the record of modern sea-level change by over 50 years and reduced its uncertainty by ∼50%.

Original language	English
Article number	e2021GL095710
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	49
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL095710
Publication status	Published - Feb 28 2022
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Keywords

coral microatolls
sea-level change
sea-level index points
Singapore
tide gauges

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10.1029/2021GL095710

Cite this

Majewski, J. M., Meltzner, A. J., Switzer, A. D., Shaw, T. A., Li, T., Bradley, S., Walker, J. S., Kopp, R. E., Samanta, D., Natawidjaja, D. H., Suwargadi, B. W., & Horton, B. P. (2022). Extending Instrumental Sea-Level Records Using Coral Microatolls, an Example From Southeast Asia. Geophysical Research Letters, 49(4), Article e2021GL095710. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL095710

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abstract = "The small number of reliable long-term (i.e., >50 yrs) tide gauges in tropical locations is a major source of uncertainty in modern sea-level change. Coral microatolls record relative sea-level (RSL) change over their lifetimes and have the potential to extend the instrumental record. Here, we examined a 20th and 21st century RSL record from two living coral microatolls from Mapur Island, Indonesia, which produced 16 sea-level index points. We validated and combined the living coral microatoll data with tide gauge data to show RSL at Mapur Island was 0.0 ± 1.6 mm/yr (2σ) from 1915 to 1990 and 1.0 ± 2.1 mm/yr (2σ) from 1990 to 2019. Through the addition of microatoll RSL data we extended the record of modern sea-level change by over 50 years and reduced its uncertainty by ∼50%.",

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AU - Meltzner, A. J.

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AU - Shaw, T. A.

AU - Li, T.

AU - Bradley, S.

AU - Walker, J. S.

AU - Kopp, R. E.

AU - Samanta, D.

AU - Natawidjaja, D. H.

AU - Suwargadi, B. W.

AU - Horton, B. P.

PY - 2022/2/28

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N2 - The small number of reliable long-term (i.e., >50 yrs) tide gauges in tropical locations is a major source of uncertainty in modern sea-level change. Coral microatolls record relative sea-level (RSL) change over their lifetimes and have the potential to extend the instrumental record. Here, we examined a 20th and 21st century RSL record from two living coral microatolls from Mapur Island, Indonesia, which produced 16 sea-level index points. We validated and combined the living coral microatoll data with tide gauge data to show RSL at Mapur Island was 0.0 ± 1.6 mm/yr (2σ) from 1915 to 1990 and 1.0 ± 2.1 mm/yr (2σ) from 1990 to 2019. Through the addition of microatoll RSL data we extended the record of modern sea-level change by over 50 years and reduced its uncertainty by ∼50%.

AB - The small number of reliable long-term (i.e., >50 yrs) tide gauges in tropical locations is a major source of uncertainty in modern sea-level change. Coral microatolls record relative sea-level (RSL) change over their lifetimes and have the potential to extend the instrumental record. Here, we examined a 20th and 21st century RSL record from two living coral microatolls from Mapur Island, Indonesia, which produced 16 sea-level index points. We validated and combined the living coral microatoll data with tide gauge data to show RSL at Mapur Island was 0.0 ± 1.6 mm/yr (2σ) from 1915 to 1990 and 1.0 ± 2.1 mm/yr (2σ) from 1990 to 2019. Through the addition of microatoll RSL data we extended the record of modern sea-level change by over 50 years and reduced its uncertainty by ∼50%.

KW - coral microatolls

KW - sea-level change

KW - sea-level index points

KW - Singapore

KW - tide gauges

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Extending Instrumental Sea-Level Records Using Coral Microatolls, an Example From Southeast Asia

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

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