The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a groundbreaking initiative to enhance sea-level monitoring near coastlines. The ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Sea Level Project has created a network of 'virtual' coastal stations to address the limitations of satellite data accuracy in coastal regions.
This project reprocessed nearly two decades of satellite data, establishing 756 virtual stations extending up to 1-2 kilometers from the coast. This innovative approach fills a critical data gap, providing consistent and reliable sea-level measurements along coastlines worldwide. The data is freely available and presented at scientific conferences.
These virtual stations enable a deeper understanding of coastal sea-level trends, which can differ significantly from open-ocean trends. This advancement is crucial for improving climate models and developing effective climate adaptation strategies, ultimately safeguarding vulnerable coastal communities.