Ocean Temperature Changes and Sea Level Changes

Abstract

Thermal expansion and contraction affect the ocean surface level. With the installation of the ARGO temperature measurements in 2004, we now have high-precision records of the changes in temperature both in horizontal and vertical dimension. In the Equatorial region (30 °N-30 °S) there has been a warming of about 0.25 °C in the uppermost 50-70m. This would rise sea level by about 1.2mm. In the Arctic region (55 °N-65 °N) there has been a cooling of about 0.20 °C in the upper 1400m. This would lower sea level by about 4.9cm. This invalidates previous global thermal expansion estimates.