The 2011 La Niña: So strong, the oceans fell

Global mean sea level (GMSL) dropped by 5 mm between the beginning of 2010 and mid 2011. This drop occurred despite the background rate of rise, 3 mm per year, which dominates most of the 18‐year record observed by satellite altimeters. Using a combination of satellite andin situdata, we show that t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2012-10, Vol.39 (19), p.n/a
Main Authors: Boening, Carmen, Willis, Josh K., Landerer, Felix W., Nerem, R. Steven, Fasullo, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Altimeters
altimetry
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
El Nino
ENSO
Equivalence
Exact sciences and technology
GRACE
La Nina
Marine
Oceans
Precipitation
Satellites
Sea level
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Summary:Global mean sea level (GMSL) dropped by 5 mm between the beginning of 2010 and mid 2011. This drop occurred despite the background rate of rise, 3 mm per year, which dominates most of the 18‐year record observed by satellite altimeters. Using a combination of satellite andin situdata, we show that the decline in ocean mass, which explains the sea level drop, coincides with an equivalent increase in terrestrial water storage, primarily over Australia, northern South America, and Southeast Asia. This temporary shift of water from the ocean to land is closely related to the transition from El Niño conditions in 2009/10 to a strong 2010/11 La Niña, which affected precipitation patterns world‐wide. Key Points Sea level drop in 2011 mainly caused by water exchange between ocean and land Exchange related to 2010/11 La Nina driving regional changes in precipitation Sea level decline is temporary as water will return to the ocean through runoff
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2012GL053055