Sea level, the Glossary
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured.[1]
Table of Contents
87 relations: Aeronautical chart, Air traffic control, Alicante, Altimeter, Amsterdam Ordnance Datum, Atmospheric pressure, Atmospheric science, Automatic terminal information service, Body of water, Calibration, Cartography, Chandler wobble, Chart datum, Climate change, CNES, Contour line, Death Valley, Density, Earth, Earth ellipsoid, Earth Gravitational Model, El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Elevation, Evaporation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight level, Geodetic datum, Geography, Geoid, Geologic time scale, Glacier, Global Positioning System, GRACE and GRACE-FO, Gravity, Gravity anomaly, Groundwater, Height above mean sea level, Ice age, Ice sheet, Indian Ocean Geoid Low, International Standard Atmosphere, Isostasy, Jason-1, Kronstadt, Last Glacial Period, Managed retreat, Mean, Metonic cycle, NASA, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, ... Expand index (37 more) »
- Vertical datums
Aeronautical chart
An aeronautical chart is a map designed to assist in the navigation of aircraft, much as nautical charts do for watercraft, or a roadmap does for drivers.
See Sea level and Aeronautical chart
Air traffic control
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers (people) who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airspace.
See Sea level and Air traffic control
Alicante
Alicante (Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain.
Altimeter
An altimeter or an altitude meter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level.
Amsterdam Ordnance Datum
Amsterdam Ordnance Datum or Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP) is a vertical datum in use in large parts of Western Europe. Sea level and Amsterdam Ordnance Datum are vertical datums.
See Sea level and Amsterdam Ordnance Datum
Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure, also known as air pressure or barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth.
See Sea level and Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric science
Atmospheric science is the study of the Earth's atmosphere and its various inner-working physical processes.
See Sea level and Atmospheric science
Automatic terminal information service
Automatic terminal information service, or ATIS, is a continuous broadcast of recorded aeronautical information in busier terminal areas.
See Sea level and Automatic terminal information service
Body of water
A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet.
See Sea level and Body of water
Calibration
In measurement technology and metrology, calibration is the comparison of measurement values delivered by a device under test with those of a calibration standard of known accuracy.
Cartography
Cartography (from χάρτης chartēs, 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and γράφειν graphein, 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Sea level and Cartography are geodesy.
Chandler wobble
The Chandler wobble or Chandler variation of latitude is a small deviation in the Earth's axis of rotation relative to the solid earth, which was discovered by and named after American astronomer Seth Carlo Chandler in 1891. Sea level and Chandler wobble are geodesy.
See Sea level and Chandler wobble
Chart datum
A chart datum is the water level surface serving as origin of depths displayed on a nautical chart and for reporting and predicting tide heights. Sea level and chart datum are vertical datums.
Climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system.
See Sea level and Climate change
CNES
CNES is the French national space agency.
Contour line
A contour line (also isoline, isopleth, isoquant or isarithm) of a function of two variables is a curve along which the function has a constant value, so that the curve joins points of equal value.
See Sea level and Contour line
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert.
See Sea level and Death Valley
Density
Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is a substance's mass per unit of volume.
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life.
Earth ellipsoid
An Earth ellipsoid or Earth spheroid is a mathematical figure approximating the Earth's form, used as a reference frame for computations in geodesy, astronomy, and the geosciences. Sea level and Earth ellipsoid are geodesy.
See Sea level and Earth ellipsoid
Earth Gravitational Model
The Earth Gravitational Models (EGM) are a series of geopotential models of the Earth published by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Sea level and Earth Gravitational Model are geodesy.
See Sea level and Earth Gravitational Model
El Niño–Southern Oscillation
El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate phenomenon that emerges from variations in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean. Sea level and el Niño–Southern Oscillation are physical oceanography.
See Sea level and El Niño–Southern Oscillation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vertical datum). Sea level and elevation are geodesy.
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase.
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a U.S. federal government agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation which regulates civil aviation in the United States and surrounding international waters.
See Sea level and Federal Aviation Administration
Flight level
In aviation, a flight level (FL) is an aircraft's altitude using the International Standard Atmosphere, expressed in hundreds of feet or metres.
See Sea level and Flight level
Geodetic datum
A geodetic datum or geodetic system (also: geodetic reference datum, geodetic reference system, or geodetic reference frame) is a global datum reference or reference frame for precisely representing the position of locations on Earth or other planetary bodies by means of geodetic coordinates.
See Sea level and Geodetic datum
Geography
Geography (from Ancient Greek γεωγραφία; combining 'Earth' and 'write') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth.
Geoid
The geoid is the shape that the ocean surface would take under the influence of the gravity of Earth, including gravitational attraction and Earth's rotation, if other influences such as winds and tides were absent. Sea level and geoid are geodesy and vertical datums.
Geologic time scale
The geologic time scale or geological time scale (GTS) is a representation of time based on the rock record of Earth.
See Sea level and Geologic time scale
Glacier
A glacier is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight.
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radio navigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. Sea level and Global Positioning System are geodesy.
See Sea level and Global Positioning System
GRACE and GRACE-FO
The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) was a joint mission of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
See Sea level and GRACE and GRACE-FO
Gravity
In physics, gravity is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things that have mass.
Gravity anomaly
The gravity anomaly at a location on the Earth's surface is the difference between the observed value of gravity and the value predicted by a theoretical model. Sea level and gravity anomaly are geodesy.
See Sea level and Gravity anomaly
Groundwater
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations.
Height above mean sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. Sea level and Height above mean sea level are geodesy and vertical datums.
See Sea level and Height above mean sea level
Ice age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers.
Ice sheet
In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than.
Indian Ocean Geoid Low
The Indian Ocean Geoid Low (IOGL) is a gravity anomaly in the Indian Ocean.
See Sea level and Indian Ocean Geoid Low
International Standard Atmosphere
The International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) is a static atmospheric model of how the pressure, temperature, density, and viscosity of the Earth's atmosphere change over a wide range of altitudes or elevations.
See Sea level and International Standard Atmosphere
Isostasy
Isostasy (Greek ''ísos'' 'equal', ''stásis'' 'standstill') or isostatic equilibrium is the state of gravitational equilibrium between Earth's crust (or lithosphere) and mantle such that the crust "floats" at an elevation that depends on its thickness and density.
Jason-1
Jason-1 was a satellite altimeter oceanography mission. Sea level and Jason-1 are physical oceanography.
Kronstadt
Kronstadt (Kronshtadt) is a Russian port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg, near the head of the Gulf of Finland.
Last Glacial Period
The Last Glacial Period (LGP), also known as the Last glacial cycle, occurred from the end of the Last Interglacial to the beginning of the Holocene, years ago, and thus corresponds to most of the timespan of the Late Pleistocene.
See Sea level and Last Glacial Period
Managed retreat
Managed retreat involves the purposeful, coordinated movement of people and buildings away from risks.
See Sea level and Managed retreat
Mean
A mean is a numeric quantity representing the center of a collection of numbers and is intermediate to the extreme values of a set of numbers.
Metonic cycle
The Metonic cycle or enneadecaeteris (from ἐννεακαιδεκαετηρίς, from ἐννεακαίδεκα, "nineteen") is a period of almost exactly 19 years after which the lunar phases recur at the same time of the year.
See Sea level and Metonic cycle
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), also known as the National Academies, is a congressionally chartered organization that serves as the collective scientific national academy of the United States.
See Sea level and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
National Oceanography Centre
The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is a marine science research and technology institution based across two sites, one in Southampton and one in Liverpool, England.
See Sea level and National Oceanography Centre
Navigation
Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. Sea level and Navigation are geodesy.
Newlyn
Newlyn (Lulyn: Lu 'fleet', Lynn/Lydn 'pool') is a seaside town and fishing port in south-west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
North American Vertical Datum of 1988
The North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) is the vertical datum for orthometric heights established for vertical control surveying in the United States of America based upon the General Adjustment of the North American Datum of 1988. Sea level and North American Vertical Datum of 1988 are vertical datums.
See Sea level and North American Vertical Datum of 1988
Ocean current
An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by a number of forces acting upon the water, including wind, the Coriolis effect, breaking waves, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences. Sea level and ocean current are Oceanographical terminology and physical oceanography.
See Sea level and Ocean current
Ocean surface topography
Ocean surface topography or sea surface topography, also called ocean dynamic topography, are highs and lows on the ocean surface, similar to the hills and valleys of Earth's land surface depicted on a topographic map. Sea level and ocean surface topography are geodesy and physical oceanography.
See Sea level and Ocean surface topography
Oceanic basin
In hydrology, an oceanic basin (or ocean basin) is anywhere on Earth that is covered by seawater. Sea level and Oceanic basin are Oceanographical terminology and physical oceanography.
See Sea level and Oceanic basin
Ordnance datum
An ordnance datum (OD) is a vertical datum used by an ordnance survey as the basis for deriving altitudes on maps. Sea level and ordnance datum are vertical datums.
See Sea level and Ordnance datum
OSTM/Jason-2
OSTM/Jason-2, or Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 satellite, was an international Earth observation satellite altimeter joint mission for sea surface height measurements between NASA and CNES. Sea level and OSTM/Jason-2 are physical oceanography.
See Sea level and OSTM/Jason-2
Planetary science
Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their formation.
See Sea level and Planetary science
Post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression.
See Sea level and Post-glacial rebound
Precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull.
See Sea level and Precipitation
Q code
This is one of a set of articles on telegraphy. The Q-code is a standardised collection of three-letter codes that each start with the letter "Q".
Relative sea level
Relative sea level (RSL) is defined as the sea level that is observed with respect to a land-based reference frame.
See Sea level and Relative sea level
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia.
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a vast empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its proclamation in November 1721 until its dissolution in March 1917.
See Sea level and Russian Empire
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity).
Sea level rise
Between 1901 and 2018, the average sea level rise was, with an increase of per year since the 1970s.
See Sea level and Sea level rise
Seiche
A seiche is a standing wave in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water.
Spain
Spain, formally the Kingdom of Spain, is a country located in Southwestern Europe, with parts of its territory in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and Africa.
Standard sea-level conditions
Standard sea-level conditions (SSL), also known as sea-level standard (SLS), defines a set of atmospheric conditions for physical calculations.
See Sea level and Standard sea-level conditions
Storm surge
A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones.
Subsidence
Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities.
Surveying
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them.
Tectonics
Tectonics are the processes that result in the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time.
Thermal expansion
Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to increase in length, area, or volume, changing its size and density, in response to an increase in temperature (usually excluding phase transitions).
See Sea level and Thermal expansion
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Sea level and Tide are geodesy.
Tide gauge
A tide gauge is a device for measuring the change in sea level relative to a vertical datum.
TOPEX/Poseidon
TOPEX/Poseidon was a joint satellite altimeter mission between NASA, the U.S. space agency; and CNES, the French space agency, to map ocean surface topography.
See Sea level and TOPEX/Poseidon
Topographic map
In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but historically using a variety of methods.
See Sea level and Topographic map
True polar wander
True polar wander is a solid-body rotation of a planet or moon with respect to its spin axis, causing the geographic locations of the north and south poles to change, or "wander". Sea level and True polar wander are geodesy.
See Sea level and True polar wander
Tsunami
A tsunami (from lit) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Sea level and tsunami are Oceanographical terminology and physical oceanography.
Vertical datum
In geodesy, surveying, hydrography and navigation, vertical datum or altimetric datum is a reference coordinate surface used for vertical positions, such as the elevations of Earth-bound features (terrain, bathymetry, water level, and built structures) and altitudes of satellite orbits and in aviation. Sea level and vertical datum are vertical datums.
See Sea level and Vertical datum
Victoria Dock, Liverpool
Victoria Dock was a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool.
See Sea level and Victoria Dock, Liverpool
Wind
Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface.
Wind wave
In fluid dynamics, a wind wave, or wind-generated water wave, is a surface wave that occurs on the free surface of bodies of water as a result of the wind blowing over the water's surface. Sea level and wind wave are Oceanographical terminology and physical oceanography.
World Geodetic System
The World Geodetic System (WGS) is a standard used in cartography, geodesy, and satellite navigation including GPS. Sea level and World Geodetic System are geodesy.
See Sea level and World Geodetic System
See also
Vertical datums
- Amsterdam Ordnance Datum
- Australian Height Datum
- Chart datum
- General levelling of France
- Geoid
- Height above mean sea level
- Metres above the Adriatic
- Metres above the Sea (Switzerland)
- National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929
- Newlyn Tidal Observatory
- Normalhöhennull
- Normalnull
- North American Vertical Datum of 1988
- Ordnance datum
- Pierres du Niton
- Sea level
- Terrain
- VERTCON
- Vertical Offshore Reference Frames
- Vertical datum
References
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level
Also known as Eustacy, Eustasis, Eustatic, Eustatic change, Eustatic movements, Glacio-eustatic, Global mean sea level, Höhe über dem Meeresspiegel, Höhennormal, Mean Sea Level, Mean level of the sea, Mean sea-level, Median sea level, Sea levels, Sea-level, Sea-levels, Sealevel.
, National Oceanography Centre, Navigation, Newlyn, North American Vertical Datum of 1988, Ocean current, Ocean surface topography, Oceanic basin, Ordnance datum, OSTM/Jason-2, Planetary science, Post-glacial rebound, Precipitation, Q code, Relative sea level, Russia, Russian Empire, Salinity, Sea level rise, Seiche, Spain, Standard sea-level conditions, Storm surge, Subsidence, Surveying, Tectonics, Thermal expansion, Tide, Tide gauge, TOPEX/Poseidon, Topographic map, True polar wander, Tsunami, Vertical datum, Victoria Dock, Liverpool, Wind, Wind wave, World Geodetic System.