The maps above shows the ten - day average of
sea surface height centered on May 2, 1997 (left), and May 3, 2014.
They also measure a slightly different vaeiable:
sea surface height (aka geocentric
sea level, ie the
height of the
sea surface relwtive to the planet's
center of gravity, rather than
sea level proper, aka relative
sea level, ie
height of the
sea surface relative to the solid Earth).