Abstract
Abstract. This paper summaries findings from a survey of European sea level infrastructure (tide gauges, telemetry methods, ancillary information) conducted at the end of 2008 on behalf of the Tsunami Risk ANd Strategies For the European Region (TRANSFER), Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Connected Seas (NEAMTWS), European Sea Level Service (ESEAS) and Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) projects and programmes. Approximately 478 strategic tide gauges were found to be operational at this time, of which about three-quarters have near-real time data telemetry of various kinds. Around half of the gauges take part in real-time international data exchange. The NEAMTWS network can be considered to be in good shape in that most of its sites for which a gauge exists will be capable of meeting required standards in the near future. On the other hand, NEAMTWS (and the European and North African network in general) contains major gaps along the North African coastline and on European Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts which require new installations. The paper also summaries standards for the various sea level programmes, and reviews existing European infrastructure in the form of data centres and web sites.
Highlights
Sea levels have been measured in Europe for many hundreds of years
There is inconsistency in personal appreciation of the importance of international data exchange and the consequent necessary improvements to telemetry. It has been evident for some time that European sea level infrastructure varies considerably between regions, and this recognition led to the initiation of a survey by the European Sea Level Service (ESEAS) of the tide gauges employed by various agencies across Europe
The survey suggests that approximately 478 tide gauge stations are currently operational in Europe, North Africa, Greenland, Iceland and Atlantic islands (Fig. 1), with the greatest density of recording in NW Europe and lowest density in North Africa and parts of the Black and Baltic Seas
Summary
Sea levels have been measured in Europe for many hundreds of years. Early measurements tended to consist of the heights and times of high tide only (e.g. Woodworth, 1999; Woppelmann et al, 2008). There is inconsistency in personal appreciation of the importance of international data exchange and the consequent necessary improvements to telemetry It has been evident for some time that European sea level infrastructure varies considerably between regions, and this recognition led to the initiation of a survey by the European Sea Level Service (ESEAS) of the tide gauges employed by various agencies across Europe. The resulting survey, providing details of the infrastructure at each site in continental Europe together with North Africa, Greenland, Iceland and Atlantic islands, can be found in http://www.pol.ac.uk/psmsl/author archive/ european tide gauge survey 2008/ It indicates which recording and communication technologies pertain to each measurement site as of December 2008 and consists of a set of tables with fields listed in Appendix A. The insight obtained into the status of the European sea level infrastructure as a whole should provide a basis for the further development of activities such as GLOSS which have great interest in the availability of delayed mode sea level data
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