Spatial distribution of sea level trend and annual range in the China Seas from 50 long term tidal gauge station data

摘要

The seasonal sea level variability and the long term trend of the sea level in the China Seas is investigated based on the monthly mean sea level data at 48 long term tide stations. Results show the average rising rate of all the stations is 2.3mm/a. The rising rate of the sea level in the north area is a little larger than the south area, and large rising rate appears on the island or at the big river mouth. The annual range of the sea level along the coast of China seas shows larger values in the north than in the south. The months when the highest or lowest sea levels occur in the south area lag the north area. River runoff can influence the annual range of the nearby sea level prominently. Monsoon, sea surface air pressure and SST are three important factors that cause the sea level variation along the coast of the China seas.