mean sea level

American  

[meen see lev-uhl] / ˈmin ˈsi ˈlɛv əl /

noun

1. Oceanography. the average height of the ocean's surface, as measured frequently and during all fluctuations of tides and atmospheric conditions over an extended time, usually a number of years.

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mean sea level British  

noun

1. (in the UK) the sea level used by the Ordnance Survey as a datum level, determined at Newlyn in Cornwall See sea level

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mean sea level Scientific  

1. See under sea level

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mean sea level

Last year, the global mean sea level was around 11 centimetres higher than when satellite altimetry records began in 1993.

From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026

In Redondo Beach, for instance, a near-shore tsunami could bring waves of up to 11 feet above mean sea level, compared to 9 feet possible coming from a distant earthquake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2025

The Met Office said the mean sea level pressure reading for England and Wales in November is the lowest ever, breaking a record that had stood since 1916.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 2, 2023

According to the World Meteorological Organization, global mean sea level rose by 4.5 millimeters per year between 2013 and 2022.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 17, 2023

The geoid is above the ellipsoid of reference under mountains and it is below the ellipsoid on the oceans, where the geoid coincides with mean sea level.

From Development of Gravity Pendulums in the 19th Century Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, Papers 34-44 On Science and Technology, Smithsonian Institution, 1966 by Victor Fritz Lenzen

Related Words

• water level