Sea level–air temperature correlations near a coastal zone

Abstract

A NUMBER of naturally occurring chronometric records, such as the growth rings of trees¹, distribution of pelagic fish scales preserved in anaerobic sediments² and the thickness of annual laminations of these sediments³, have been correlated with time series of climatological variables. I have previously introduced sea level as one predictive variable of diatom abundance⁴; here I propose sea level as another predictive variable which can be used to estimate air temperature near the coast of San Diego (32°43′N 117°10′W) and Los Angeles (33°56′N 118°24′W). Although historical data series of sea level and air temperature have been correlated with several atmospheric and oceanic variables in the past⁵, no correlation between them has, as far as I know been reported previously.