Sea level and the alongshore component of wind stress data at seven locations on the Pacific coast of Canada and the United States were analyzed. The effective data period was from August 1, 1973 to September 9, 1975. The seven locations were Tofino, British Columbia; Neah Bay and Toke Point, Washington; South beach (Newport) and Charleston, Oregon; and Crescent City and San Francisco, California. Sea level relative to the two year mean is higher at the northern locations during the winter months than it is at the southern stations. There appears to be an annual cycle in the sea level though the amplitudes are different for the two years. The monthly mean wind stress is northward during the winter months, and has a larger value at the northern locations. During the spring and summer the monthly mean wind stress is southward and has a larger value at the southern stations. Linear correlation analysis was performed on the sea level data and on the alongshore component of wind stress for the entire time period and seasonally. Auto-correlations and cross correlations were computed for the adjusted sea levels and wind stress. This analysis shows that the sea level and wind stress fluctuations among these seven locations are coherent. These show that the correlation is a function of location and that it has a seasonal variation. It also appears that by examining plots of correlation coefficients and of sea level slopes, that the region may be divided into two major regimes. This separation might be interpreted as the locale where the West Wind Drift impinges on the coast. / Graduation date: 1978

In the first part of this thesis definitions of sea level are given and causes and effects of its seasonal and secular variations are briefly discussed. The second part deals with the numerical determination of these changes on the coast of British Columbia. Using raw tidal data in the form of monthly means of sea level, seasonal variations are determined as annual oscillations with mean amplitudes between 5 and 12 cm for seven stations on the B.C. coast. The investigation of secular variations is based on (raw) annual means of sea level. These variations are essentially represented by linear trends which are statistically significant at the stations VICTORIA, VANCOUVER, POINT ATKINSON and PRINCE RUPERT, where they indicate submergence. Assuming an eustatic rise of sea level at the rate of 1.0 mm/yr, the influence of land movement on submergence is estimated. For VICTORIA, a probable land uplift since 1909 and for VANCOUVER, POINT ATKINSON and PRINCE RUPERT a definite land subsidence since about 1943 is found. The rates of land subsidence range between 1 and 2 mm/yr. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate