Absolute fixing of tide gauge benchmarks: phase 2

This project improved the way rises in sea levels are assessed by measuring how much the land at tide gauges moves up and down. A project using GPS and absolute gravity.

• From: Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 12 February 2021

• Category: Understanding risks from all sources of flooding
• Topics: Asset monitoring, Climate change, Coast, Coastal erosion, Flood risk assessment, Flood warning, Monitoring and detection, Offsite methods and remote techniques, Sea level rise, Understanding physical processes
• Project status: Completed
• Project code: FD2301
• Date of completion: 31 March 2003

Documents

Absolute fixing of tide gauge benchmarks: phase 2 - final report (1.2MB) PDF

Absolute fixing of tide gauge benchmarks: phase 2 - summary (38KB) PDF

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Details

This project aimed to create a better monitoring network for sea level rises by estimating how much the land has moved using absolute gravity. This included the level of the water on tide gauges. This method was designed to assess any biases that come from using GPS to monitor how fast the levels rise or fall.

Improving guidance on long-term sea level rise around the coasts will improve the design of coastal defences and other works. Once statistically significant estimates of how much land moves vertically at the tide gauges are available, it’ll be possible to separate this from the water level readings to work out the true sea level rise at the tide gauge.

The project started in 2000 and was completed in 2003 at a cost of £597,987.

Published 12 February 2021