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Abstract

Quantitative estimates of sea‐level rise in the Mediterranean Basin become increasingly accurate thanks to detailed satellite monitoring. However, such measuring campaigns cover several years to decades, while longer‐term sea‐level records are rare for the Mediterranean. We used a data archeological approach to reanalyze monthly mean sea‐level data of the Antalya‐I (1935–1977) tide gauge to fill this gap. We checked the accuracy and reliability of these data before merging them with the more recent records of the Antalya‐II (1985–2009) tide gauge, accounting for an eight‐year hiatus. We obtain a composite time series of monthly and annual mean sea levels spanning some 75 years, providing the longest record for the eastern Mediterranean Basin, and thus an essential tool for studying the region's recent sea‐level trends. We estimate a relative mean sea‐level rise of 2.2 ± 0.5 mm/year between 1935 and 2008, with an annual variability (expressed here as the standard deviation of the residuals, σresiduals = 41.4 mm) above that at the closest tide gauges (e.g., Thessaloniki, Greece, σresiduals = 29.0 mm). Relative sea‐level rise accelerated to 6.0 ± 1.5 mm/year at Antalya‐II; we attribute roughly half of this rate (~3.6 mm/year) to tectonic crustal motion and anthropogenic land subsidence. Our study highlights the value of data archeology for recovering and integrating historic tide gauge data for long‐term sea‐level and climate studies.