Spatiotemporal Variability in Global Storm Surge and Tidal Water Levels from Satellite Radar Altimetry

Abstract

Extreme (still) sea levels and the possibly associated coastal floods, are generally linked to (high) tides and storm surges. The risk of coastal floods will likely intensify in the future. This is because, on the one hand, the population of coastal zones is expected to continue to grow, and, on the other hand, climate change may lead to an increase in the frequency and magnitude of extreme sea levels. Although observations suggest that on the global scale, sea level rise is the primary driver behind the increase in extreme sea levels, locally the increase in extreme sea levels may be amplified or even dominated by changes in stormsurges and tidal dynamics...