Present Velocity and Acceleration in Tide Gauge Records Characterized by a Quasi-60 years Periodic Oscillation

Abstract

The paper describing sea level rise oscillations at Cape Hatteras, USA by Parker [1] has opened the discussion regarding if the velocity in a tide gauge record characterized by a quasi-60-year multi-decadal oscillation can be computed by linear fitting of 30 years of data in two ad-hoc selected times and if acceleration can then be inferred by comparing these two values as proposed by Sallenger [2], or if this comparison is meaningless in that the 60-year time window is the minimum amount of time needed to evaluate the velocity in a record characterized by a quasi-60-year multi-decadal oscillation and the acceleration has then to be computed as the time derivative of this velocity as suggested by Parker [1,3]. For the specific case of The Battery, NY, it is shown here that the 60-year time window is the minimum time length needed to compute a velocity, and both the 60-year windows and the all data velocities are free of any acceleration at the present time. The 30-year time window velocity of 2009 is not representative of the present sea level rise and the comparison of the 30-year time window velocity of 2009 and 1979 near a peak and a valley, respectively, of the 60-year multidecadal oscillation to claim a present acceleration has no scientific background.