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Precise data for improved coastline protection
Researchers working under the leadership of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have conducted the first precise and comprehensive measurements of sea level rises in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. A new method now makes it possible to determine sea level changes with millimeter accuracy even in coastal areas and in case of sea ice coverage. This is of vital importance for planning protective measures.
For the billions of people who live in coastal areas, rising sea levels driven by climate change can pose an existential threat. “To protect people and infrastructure – for example by building flood protection structures, securing ports or making dikes higher – we need reliable forecasts on sea level trends,” explains Prof. Florian Seitz, the Director of the German Geodetic Research Institute (DGFI-TUM) at TUM. “However, this requires precise data with high spatial resolution. And until now, the required wide