Global Ocean Heat and Thermospheric Sea Level Change

Global Ocean Heat and Thermospheric Sea Level Change

Using updated data from the World Ocean Database (Boyer et al, 2009) and improved ARGO profiling data, new estimates of ocean heat content and thermospheric sea level change (0-2000m) for the period 1955-2010 are derived.

Key Strengths

Uses data not previously available; bathermographic data corrected for instrumental bias; improved Argo data

Error estimates

Key Limitations

Individual grid points can be 'noisy.'

Please cite data sources, following the data providers' instructions
Dataset DOIs
None
Hosted Climate Index Files
None
Data Access
  1. Global Ocean Heat and Salt Content
Usage Restrictions
None

Cite this page

Acknowledgement of any material taken from or knowledge gained from this page is appreciated:

National Center for Atmospheric Research Staff (Eds). Last modified "The Climate Data Guide: Global Ocean Heat and Thermospheric Sea Level Change.” Retrieved from https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/global-ocean-heat-and-thermospheric-sea-level-change on 2025-05-25.


Citation of datasets is separate and should be done according to the data providers' instructions. If known to us, data citation instructions are given in the Data Access section, above.


Acknowledgement of the Climate Data Guide project is also appreciated:

Schneider, D. P., C. Deser, J. Fasullo, and K. E. Trenberth, 2013: Climate Data Guide Spurs Discovery and Understanding. Eos Trans. AGU, 94, 121–122, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013eo130001

Key Figures

Climate Data Guide Image: thermospheric sea level change

Vertically integrated thermospheric sea level change for the 3-month period centered on Feb. 2010. (Climate Data Guide; D. Shea)
Climate Data Guide Image: time series thermospheric sea level change

Vertically (0-700m) integrated thermospheric sea level change for the Atlantic Basin. (Climate Data Guide; D. Shea)

Other Information

Earth system components and main variables
Ocean, Ocean Heat Content, Sea Level
Type of data product
Gridded from obs
Dataset collections
None

Years of record
to
Metadata ID
None
Data time period extended
None
Timestep
Monthly, Seasonal, Annual
Domain
Global
Formats:
netCDF, ascii
Input Data

bathythermograph, Argo profiler

Vertical Levels:
None
Missing Data Flag
None
Ocean or Land
Ocean Only
Spatial Resolution
None
Model Resolution (reanalysis)
None
Data Assimilation Method
None
Model Vintage (reanalysis)
None

Key Publications
  1. Levitus et al, (2012): World ocean heat content and thermosteric sea level change (0–2000 m), 1955–2010. GRL VOL. 39, L10603
  2. Boyer, T. P., et al. (2009), World Ocean Database 2009, vol. 1, Introduction, NOAA Atlas NESDIS, vol. 66, edited by S. Levitus, 219 pp., NOAA, Silver Spring, Md.
  3. Wijffels, S. A et al (2011): Revisiting Halosteric and Thermosteric Sea-level Rise 1950-2000