Sea surface height

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Sea surface height (SSH) is the height (or topography or relief) of the ocean's surface. On a daily basis, SSH is most obviously affected by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the Earth. Over longer timescales, SSH is influenced by both the Earth's gravitational field, and by ocean circulation. Typically, these cause maximum SSH anomalies from the mean on the order of 20 cm at the global scale^{[citation needed]}.

Since the Earth's gravitational field is relatively stable on decadal to centennial timescales, ocean circulation plays a more significant role in the observed variation of SSH. Across the seasonal cycle changes in patterns of warming, cooling and surface wind forcing affect circulation and influence SSH. Variations in SSH can be measured by satellite altimetry (e.g. TOPEX/Poseidon) and used to calculate determine sea level rise and properties such as ocean heat storage.