Sea level does not change at the same pace everywhere at the same time. These differences from location to location can be caused by a variety of processes, but two of the most important are (1) winds blowing over the ocean and (2) melting of large ice masses. The former redistributes ocean volume within the basins, while the latter alters Earth's gravitational field and rate of rotation enough to change the distribution of ocean mass around the surface of the Earth. The pattern of sea level change associated with melting of a large ice mass is known as a “melt fingerprint,” because each ice mass produces a unique pattern.
Are long tide gauge records in the wrong place to measure global mean sea level rise? (Geophysical Research Letters)
1University of Hawai’i at Manoa
2Old Dominion University
3Jet Propulsion Laboratory