Decadal Sea Level Variability in the Tropical Atlantic

This study examines sea level change in the context of decadal-scale variability in the ocean-atmosphere dynamics of the tropical Atlantic. This time scale is of great significance for adaptation and mitigation in the context of increasing societal threats from the ongoing harmful effects of anthropogenic climate change. Decadal climate variability in the Atlantic is caused by the interaction of the gyres and is evidenced by persistent multi-year anomalies in sea surface temperature, heat content and thermocline depth (through steric sea level and dynamic height). In this study, the tropical sea level anomaly (SLA) was decomposed into interannual and decadal time scales via an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) method. The SLA variability was investigated and found to be closely related to climatic variability patterns. In addition, decadal SLA variabilities were observed between 1993 and 2016, with SLA and SLP seasonal shifts occurring in the second decade, with no change in the equatorial wind stress, responsible for warm events.