Sea level rise is rapidly turning into major issues among our community and all levels of the government are working to develop responses to ensure these matters are given the uttermost attention in all facets of planning. It is more interesting to understand and investigate the present day sea level variation due its potential impact, particularly on our national geodetic vertical datum. To determine present day sea level variation, it is vital to consider both in-situ tide gauge and remote sensing measurements. This study presents an effort to quantify the sea level rise rate and magnitude over Peninsular Malaysia using tide gauge and multi-mission satellite altimeter. The time periods taken for both techniques are 32 years (from 1984 to 2015) for tidal data and 23 years (from 1993 to 2015) for altimetry data. Subsequently, the impact of sea level rise on Peninsular Malaysia Geodetic Vertical Datum (PMGVD) is evaluated in this study. the difference between MSL computed from 10 years (1984 – 1993) and 32 years (1984 – 2015) tidal data at Port Kelang showed that the increment of sea level is about 27mm. The computed magnitude showed an estimate of the long-term effect a change in MSL has on the geodetic vertical datum of Port Kelang tide gauge station. This will help give a new insight on the establishment of national geodetic vertical datum based on mean sea level data. Besides, this information can be used for a wide variety of climatic applications to study environmental issues related to flood and global warming in Malaysia.

1. THE IMPACT OF SEA LEVEL RISE ON
GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF
PENINSULAR MALAYSIA
AUTHORS:
A. H. M. Din, I. C. Abazu, M. F. Pa’suya, K. M.
Omar and A. I. A. Hamid
ISAAC CHIDIABAZU | GEOMATIC ENGINEERING | UTM
PRESENTER:
International Conference on
Geomatics & Geospatial
Technology 2016

2. OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
 INTRODUCTION
 STUDY APPROACH
 RESULTS & DISCUSSION
 CONCLUSION

3. INTRODUCTION
(Nicholls et al., 2007)

4. INTRODUCTION
IPCC – A rise of just 20 centimetres, could result in the displacement of more
than 300 million people.
(AVISO Research Team, 2012)

5. INTRODUCTION
Peninsular Malaysia Tide Gauge Station Distribution
 1983 – Determination of precise MSL
called the Tidal Observation Network
(TON) by DSMM involving 12 tide gauge
observations.
 Port Kelang Tide Gauge –Peninsular
Malaysia Geodetic Vertical Datum
(PMGVD).
 PMGVD based on 10 years (1984 – 1993)
of tidal observations at Port Kelang.
 MSL at 3.624m above zero tide gauge as
the reference level was adopted

6. STUDY APPROACH
Tide Gauge Station Setup
1. Tidal Data

7. UTM-Geomatic Innovations Research
STUDY APPROACH
Satellite Altimetry Concept
2. Satellite Altimeter Data (RADS)

8. STUDY APPROACH
1. Tidal Data
Sea Level Rise Rate: Jan. 1984 – Dec. 2015 (32 years).
Sea Level Magnitude: Subtracting yearly mean of 2015 from that of 1984.
Tidal Average Difference at Port Kelang.
 TOPEX, Jason-1, Jason-2, ERS-1,
ERS-2, EnviSat, CryoSat-2 and
Saral/Altika.
 Sea Level Rise Rate from the SLA
Between Jan. 1993 – Dec. 2015
(23 years) using Robust Fit
Analysis.
 Sea Level Magnitude: Subtracting
yearly mean of 1993 from that of
2015.
2. Satellite Altimeter Data

9. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Sea Sea Level Rise Rate from Tide Gauges
Location Period Sea Level Rate (mm/yr)
Pulau
Langkawi
1986 – 2015 3.35 ± 0.43
Pulau Pinang 1985 – 2015 3.25 ± 0.39
Lumut 1984 – 2015 2.70 ± 0.35
Port Kelang 1984 – 2015 2.35 ± 0.40
Tanjung
Keling
1984 – 2015 2.44 ± 0.35
Kukup 1986 – 2015 3.60 ± 0.29
Johor Bahru 1984 – 2015 3.58 ± 0.24
Average 3.04 ± 0.35
Geting 1987 – 2015 3.62 ± 0.34
Cendering 1984 – 2015 3.43 ± 0.26
Tanjung
Gelang
1984 – 2015 3.27 ± 0.22
Pulau Tioman 1986 – 2015 3.03 ± 0.25
Tanjung Sedili 1987 – 2015 2.55 ± 0.27
Average 3.18 ± 0.27
Total Average 3.11 ± 0.31
 Geting with 3.62 ±0.34 mm/yr
experienced the highest sea level
rate by robust fit regression.
 Port Kelang experienced the
lowest rate at 2.35 ±0.40 mm/yr
by robust fit regression.
 The range of sea level rate by
robust fit regression is from 2.35
±0.40 mm/yr to 3.60 ±0.29
mm/yr.
 The average relative sea level
rate for Peninsular Malaysia
calculated by robust fit
regression yielded 3.11 ±0.31
mm/yr

10. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Sea Sea Level Rise Rate from Tide Gauges

11. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Sea Sea Level Rise Magnitude from Tide Gauges
Location Time Range
Yearly Mean
Sea Level Value
(m)
Magnitude
of SLR (m)
Cendering 1985 – 2015 2.187 – 2.279 0.092
Kukup 1986 – 2015 3.987 – 4.073 0.086
Pulau
Langkawi
1986 – 2015 2.182 – 2.256 0.074
Geting 1987 – 2015 2.252 – 2.326 0.074
Johor Bahru* 1984 – 2013 2.852 – 2.915 0.063
Pulau Pinang 1986 – 2015 2.658 – 2.716 0.058
Pulau Tioman 1986 – 2015 2.812 – 2.866 0.053
Tanjung
Gelang
1984 – 2015 2.804 – 2.840 0.035
Tanjung Sedili 1987 – 2015 2.373 – 2.400 0.028
Lumut 1985 – 2015 2.206 – 2.224 0.017
Port Kelang 1984 – 2015 3.678 – 3.680 0.002
Tanjung
Keling
1985 – 2015 2.868 – 2.866 -0.001
Minimum -0.001
Maximum 0.092
Total Average 0.048
 The smallest magnitude of -0.001m
occurred at Tanjung Keling.
 The largest magnitude of 0.092m
occurred at Cendering.
 Inconsistent magnitude of sea level
rise along the coast of Peninsular
Malaysia.
 The short term circulation dynamics
don’t average out & this causes the
MSL to have a disturbed annual
cycle with lots of higher harmonics.
 Influence of the “very strong” El
Niño in 2015/2016 (ONI, 2016).

12. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Tidal Average of 32 Years (1984 – 2015) Difference Tidal Average of 10
Years (1984 – 1993) for PMGVD
Port Kelang
 The computed MSL B (3.651m)
from 32 years data shows the
MSL is increasing.
 The magnitude shows that the
size of the movement of MSL B
from MSL A is 27mm
 Long-term effect it has on the
Peninsular Malaysia geodetic
vertical datum since Port Kelang
is the adopted local vertical
datum origin for Peninsular
Malaysia.
Year
Mean
(m)
Year
Mean
(m)
Year
Mean
(m)
1984 3.68 1995 3.66 2006 3.61
1985 3.65 1996 3.67 2007 3.64
1986 3.61 1997 3.54 2008 3.66
1987 3.58 1998 3.65 2009 3.71
1988 3.65 1999 3.69 2010 3.74
1989 3.64 2000 3.74 2011 3.67
1990 3.61 2001 3.70 2012 3.73
1991 3.58 2002 3.61 2013 3.74
1992 3.61 2003 3.64 2014 3.66
1993 3.62 2004 3.63 2015 3.68
1994 3.58 2005 3.65
MSL A (1984 to 1993) = 3.624m (PMGVD)
MSL B (1984 to 2015) = 3.651m
Magnitude (MSL B – MSL A) = 0.027m

13. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Sea Level Variation Using Satellite Altimeter from 1993 to 2015 (23
Years)
 The rate of sea level varies and
gradually increases from west to east
of Peninsular Malaysia.
 The Malacca Straits has lower rate
of absolute sea level rise trend
compared to South China Sea.
 Malacca Straits has an average of
3.14 ±0.12 mm/yr, while South
China Sea is estimated at 3.85 ±0.05
mm/yr.
 Depth and shape of the Malacca
Straits is shallow and rather narrow.
Besides, the tides or water flows
mainly enters from one side of the
strait and are influenced by the
geometrical changes from the north-
west to south-east and the tiny
islands at the south-east end.
SouthChinaSea
MalaccaStraits

14. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Sea Level Magnitude Using Satellite Altimeter from 1993 to 2015 (23
Years)
 Yearly sea level anomaly in
2015 was subtracted with
yearly sea level anomaly in
1993 to quantify the sea level
rise magnitude
 The magnitude of sea level rise
is higher in South China Sea
compared to Malacca Straits
 The sea level rise magnitude is
at range of 4cm to 10cm for
South China Sea and -15cm to
6cm for Malacca Straits.
South
China Sea
MalaccaStraits

15. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Sea Level Magnitude Using Satellite Altimeter for 1993 & 2015
The sea level
anomaly magnitude
in Malacca Straits is
higher than that of
the South China Sea
South
China Sea
M
alacca Straits
South
China Sea
M
alacca Straits

16. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
MSL Height Variation at Port Kelang Benchmark
 The height of the tide gauge bench mark B0169 was fixed relative to the MSL from
the Port Kelang tide gauge zero.
 Magnitude of MSL change by comparing old MSL (3.864m) at B0169 spanning
1984 to 1993 to a new MSL (3.837m) spanning 1984 to 2015 tidal data.
 The resultant difference of -0.027m indicates the upward movement of the MSL.
 A long-term change in the MSL will result in a change in the geodetic vertical datum
at the Bench mark.
South China Sea
Modified from PSMSL (2016)

17. CONCLUSION
Sea level is rising and varying from place to place over the peninsular
Malaysian seas, increasing from west coast to east.
The sea level rise signals are consistent from both tidal and altimeter
data.
The Satellite Altimeter average sea level rate calculated by robust fit
regression was estimated at 3.11 ±0.31 mm/yr (South China Sea) and
3.50 +/- 0.09 mm/yr (Malacca Straits).
Sea level magnitude ranges from 0cm to 10cm over the most part of
Peninsular Malaysian seas.
Sea level increase of about 27mm demonstrates an estimated long-
term effect a change in MSL has on the geodetic vertical datum of Port
Kelang tide gauge station.

18. ACKNOWLEGDEMENT
DSMM, TU Delft, NOAA, Altimetrics Llc and the
Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) –
Altimetry and Tidal data.
Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) for funding this
project under the FRGS Fund, Vote Number
R.J130000.7827.4F706
UTM, JOHOR.

19. THANK
YOU

20. Isaac Chidi ABAZU –B.Tech, M.Sc.
Geomatic Innovations Research Group
Faculty of Geoinformation & Real Estate
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.