The North Atlantic Oscillation and sea level variations in the Baltic Sea
The long-term trend in the mean sea level of the Baltic Sea is dominated by the rise in global sea level and, in the northern part of the area, by land uplift. Long-term variations around this general trend are strongly correlated with the long-term changes of the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO). The short-term, intra-annual variations also show long-term changes. During the high NAO index ol recent decades the sea level in the Gulf of Finland has no longer decreased with the land uplift. This, together with the observed increase in the probability of extremely high sea levels, has resulted in more pronounced erosion of the coastal areas than before.
Article from Marine Science Symposia Vol. 219 - "Hydrobiological variability in the ICES Area, 1990-1999", symposium held in Edinburgh, 8-10 August 2001. To access the remaining articles please click on the keyword "MSS Vol. 219".
