Mean sea level changes near Weizhou island from 1969 to 2010

Tidal data from Weizhou, Zhapo, and Shanwei stations between 1969 and 2010 and from five gauging stations in the western Pacific Ocean provided by PSMSL, and the global mean sea level data recorded between December 1992 and December 2010 by TOPEX and Jason satellites were compiled and analyzed. The results show that the perennial mean sea level near Weizhou Island is 211.7 cm (relative to the water gauge zero), and the relative mean sea level rising rate is 2.2 mm yr −1 from 1969 to 2010, which is consistent with the relative mean sea level rising rate recorded at other gauging stations in the western Pacific regions and with the global mean sea level rising rate. The absolute mean sea level rising rate at Weizhou Island is 3.0 mm yr −1 from 1993 to 2010, also conforming with the global mean sea level rising rate (3.1±0.4 mm yr −1 ) during the same time period. The highest annual tide level at Weizhou Island has a rising rate of 4.6 mm yr −1 and shows a 20-year quasi-periodic variation from 1966 to 2010. The primary cause of the mean sea level rising is global warming.