Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation of Coastal Zones to Global Change - Vulnerability of Coastal Ecosystems and Adaptation - page 146

good agreement with the direct observations from tide gauges and
satellites equipped with altimeters, which since 1992 have measured
an average annual rate of increase in GMSL between 2.8 mm and
3.6 mm [IPC 13]. The difference between the values calculated and
observed probably results from the fact that the contribution from the
melting of the polar ice sheets is greater than the models' estimate.
Nevertheless, the agreement obtained constitutes a validation of the
observations and of the models and finally of our interpretation and
knowledge of the origins of GMSL rise. It can also be concluded that
the observed evolution of the GMSL follows the projections that have
been made successively by the four previous reports of the IPCC. This
agreement, represented in Figure 4.5, also constitutes a validation of
the interpretation of the GMSL rise over the preceding two decades.
Figure 4.5. Variation in GMSL from 1990 to 2011, evaluated using data from tide
gauges (error bar in black) [CHU 11] and satellites TOPEX and Jason (blue squares)
[NER 10]. The colored parts represent the margins in the projections for the GMSL
from IPCC reports 1º (FAR), 2 o (SAR), 3º (TAR) and 4º (AR4), corresponding to the
different scenarios for emissions of greenhouse gas (adapted from [IPC 13])
(see color section)