Building a Resilient Sea Level Monitoring Network in the Australian Antarctic Territories of the Southern Ocean
Karen Palmer1, Ben Galton-Fenzi2*, Christopher Watson1, and John French2
*Corresponding author: Ben.Galton-Fenzi@aad.gov.au
1 University of Tasmania, 2 Australian Antarctic Division
Sea level measurements in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica play a crucial role across operations, science, and policy-making. For decades, the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) has operated a network of tide gauges along the East Antarctic coast and sub-Antarctic islands. However, the network faces significant challenges in these hostile environments, including inconsistent calibration, delayed data transmission, and insufficient resourcing. To address these challenges, the AAP Southern Ocean Sea Level Monitoring Network Project (AAS4626) was developed with the aim to build a resilient network. We present the outcomes from a stakeholder workshop held 1st May 2025 in Hobart, where 39 experts from government, research, and international organisations convened. Outcomes underscored sea level as a foundational variable, the substantial challenges in maintaining instrumentation and datum consistency, and the diverse needs of various end users of data products. Opportunities were highlighted for expanded international collaboration, for utilising new technology like GNSS Interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS-IR), and for refreshed partnership across organisational frameworks. The need to coordinate federal responsibilities and integrate with the 2025-35 Australian Antarctic Science Decadal Strategy was recognised. An invigorated Southern Ocean Sea Level Monitoring Network supports many operational and research applications, including safety of navigation, coastal urban planning and climate resilience, and reinforces Australia’s pivotal role in global monitoring of sea level.
Biography:
Dr Karen Palmer is a sea level scientist with a PhD in quantifying the degree to which differences in mean sea level, tides, surges, and estuary effects affect the probability of coastal inundation. She has a long held interest in tide gauge data and in the sea level measuring instruments, developing statistical methods and tools for understanding variations in tidal patterns and their propagation into estuaries. Dr Palmer is currently co-affiliated with the University of Tasmania and the Australian Antarctic Division working to improve sea level monitoring infrastructure in the Australian Antarctic Territories.
