Changes in the Water Surface Level of the Baltic Sea from Satellite Altimetry and Gravity Missions

Abstract

Satellite altimetry provides high-accuracy geometrical measurements of sea level changes. We analyze altimetry time series representing sea surface height anomalies over the mean sea surface provided by the TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, Jason-2, and Jason-3 satellite missions to estimate the annual rate of sea level rise. Then, we compare the results with satellite gravimetric data from GRACE and GRACE Follow-On missions and surface water temperature data, employing statistical analyses to examine the interrelationships and correlations between them. We carry out the main analyses for the period 2001–2021 with a division into 5-year periods for six different areas of the Baltic Sea. The altimetric results show that between 2001 and 2021, the water level of the Baltic Sea rose by 5.8 mm/year on average. About 72% of the changes detected by altimetry missions can be explained by satellite gravimetry from GRACE and GRACE Follow-On, which means that the mass component is responsible for most of the observed sea level change, whereas the remaining 28% can be greatly explained by thermal expansion due to the water temperature rise.