Articles | Volume 15, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-61-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-61-2019
Research article
 | 
30 Jan 2019
Research article |  | 30 Jan 2019

Measuring rates of present-day relative sea-level rise in low-elevation coastal zones: a critical evaluation

Molly E. Keogh and Torbjörn E. Törnqvist

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Cited articles

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Short summary
Relative sea-level rise is traditionally measured with tide gauges, but we question the reliability of tide-gauge data in low-elevation coastal zones. Benchmark data show that tide gauges typically do not record subsidence in the shallow subsurface and thus underestimate rates of relative sea-level rise. We present an alternative method of measuring relative sea-level rise and conclude that low-elevation coastal zones may be at higher risk of flooding than previously assumed.