dataset · Global

Global sea level change indicators from 1950 to 2050 derived from reanalysis and high resolution CMIP6 climate projections

This dataset provides statistical indicators of tides, storm surges and sea level that can be used to characterize global sea level in present-day conditions and also to assess changes under climate change. The indicators calculated include extreme-value indicators (e.g. return periods including confidence bounds for total water levels and surge levels), probability indicators (e.g. percentile for total water levels and surge levels). They provide a basis for studies aiming to evaluate sea level

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Source details

Licence: CC-BY-4.0

Evidence quality: 39.4

Listed in cds public catalogue API on 2026-10-16; relevance/value screened (haiku).

Metadata checked: 2026-10-14T13:20:00.000Z

What's in it

Data offered docs-verified: tide, storm surge and sea level statistical indicators · mean sea level · total water level · surge level · tidal range · highest astronomical tide · lowest astronomical tide · annual mean of highest high water (MHHW) · annual mean of lowest low water (MLLW) · extreme-value return periods with confidence bounds (total water level, surge level) · percentiles for total water level and surge level · absolute and relative change in water levels, future vs present-day
Coverage docs-verified: Global · 1950-2050
Resolution docs-verified: Horizontal: 0.1° at coastal grid points; 0.25°, 0.5° and 1° at ocean grid points within 100 km, 500 km and >500 km of the coastline. Temporal: annual and 30-year periods (1951-1980, 1985-2014, 2021-2050).
Update frequency docs-verified: No updates expected (dataset version 1.0)
Formats docs-verified: NetCDF-4
Access llm-inferred: Open licence CC-BY-4.0 (per ENTRY licence). Downloading requires a Copernicus Climate Data Store login or registration (site navigation shows 'Login - Register').

Useful for

Use cases llm-inferred: Return-period screening of total water and surge levels for coastal flood risk at an overseas port or coastal site · Present-day (1985-2014) vs future (2021-2050, SSP5-8.5) change in mean sea level and extremes for climate-change coastal risk screening · Tidal range and MHHW/MLLW reference levels as boundary inputs for coastal outfall design
Audience llm-inferred: coastal engineers · flood risk consultants · hydrologists · planners

Limitations

Constraints llm-inferred: Future period is based only on the high-emission SSP5-8.5 scenario · Uncertainty is represented by only 4 HighResMIP GCMs · Ocean grid is coarse (0.25° to 1°) away from the coast, so not suited to site-scale work there · Docs give the future period as both 2015-2050 and 2021-2050, so check before citing · Global-scale indicators; local UK coastal assessments will need validation against site data · No updates expected (version 1.0)

Evidence

Check upstream coverage, uncertainty and licence before use. Station observations are not forecasts or design levels.