Sea level is a good topic to study using real data, because of the interesting data sets that are available at different scales. Satellite data gives a global view, while a network of monitoring stations and buoys provide long-term data at specific locations around the United States. Many of these different observation systems from satellites and ground stations are part of the U.S. Ocean and Coastal Observing System. Charts of sea surface height data are excellent examples of the use of mathematical mean or average. Through these activities, students will learn how to interpret real data that is measured relative to an historical mean.
