Changes in surface atmospheric pressure usually induce an isostatic response in the ocean characterized by an adjustment in sea level at the rate of approximately -1 cm/hPa. Nonisostatic signals are, however, observed at many tropical tide gauges at periods near 5 days. Our analysis of satellite observations reveals the global nature of these signals, involving nonisostatic sea level fluctuations with nearly uniform phase within separate basins and an out-of-phase oscillation between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Comparisons with a barotropic model further link the observed signals to forcing by a large scale pressure wave in the atmosphere and show that constrictions between basins prevent an isostatic response from being established. The apparent forced, nonresonant nature of the nonisostatic response contrasts with the predominantly resonant ocean dynamics at higher frequencies and may be relevant to explain the behavior of the long period tides. ¿ 2001 American Geophysical Union