Diagnosing regional sea level change over the altimeter era

We find that the pattern of sea level rise since 1993 is primarily driven by wind‐induced changes in ocean circulation, which can affect sea surface height through ocean mass and heat distribution. Interestingly, these wind‐driven changes are not just products of internal climate variability; most of the observed patterns are recovered by global climate model projections driven by historical anthropogenic forcings, and single‐forcing experiments provide further insight into which forcings are responsible for various features in the satellite altimetry record.

Understanding the drivers of regional sea level rise, including differentiating anthropogenic signals from natural variability, is essential for effectively adapting to climate change impacts on global infrastructure and society.