SEA level rise quantification using multi-mission satellite altimeter over Malaysian seas

• Published in: ACRS 2015 - 36th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing: Fostering Resilient Growth in Asia, Proceedings
• Main Author: Md Din A.H.; Md Reba M.N.; Omar K.M.; Pa'suya M.F.; Ses S.
• Format: Conference paper
• Language: English
• Published: Asian Association on Remote Sensing 2015
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84964054950&partnerID=40&md5=60b5a818e2b4d4b6bc28a976ddf78528

Rise in sea level is one of the disastrous impacts of climate change. A relatively small increase in sea level could inherently affect the natural coastal system. This study presents an approach to quantify the sea level trend based on a combination of multi-mission satellite altimeters in the Malaysian seas over a period of 19 years. Six altimeter missions were used to derive the absolute sea level from the Radar Altimeter Database System (RADS). Sea tidal data were used to verify the satellite derived sea level. Eight selected areas in the east and west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia are chosen for this data verification. The result in turn used for the pattern and correlation analysis between the satellite derived sea level rise and sea tidal level anomaly (SLA). Next, the time series of the sea level trend is quantified using robust fit regression analysis. The findings clearly show that the absolute sea level trend is rising and varying over the Malaysian seas with the rate of sea level varies and gradually increases from east to west of Malaysia. Highly confident and correlation level of the 19-year measurement data permits the absolute sea level trend of the Malaysia seas has raised at the rate of 2.67 +/- 0.81 mm/yr to 6.05 +/- 0.78 mm/yr for the chosen sub-areas, with an overall mean of 4.56 +/- 0.68 mm/yr. This study offers valuable sea level information to be applied in wide range of climatology, related environmental issue such as flood and global warming in Malaysia.