Sea Level Change

Sea Level Change

Sea level varies on a daily basis, with onshore winds and low pressure atmospheric systems causing temporary sea level rise. Sea level is rising at 2mm per year which will increase the frequency and severity of flooding.
EUSTATIC
1. global effects caused by change in the volume of water in the sea
2. As climate becomes cooler, an increase of water is stored as snow and ice, slowing the hydrological cycle. Sea level falls - eustatic fall.
3. An increase in temperature will result in sea level rise due to meltwater and thermal expansion.
4. As the climate begins to get warmer, the ice masses melt, replenishing the sea water store, and sea level rises (eustatic change) Flooding will occur producing submergant feaures such as rias and fjords.
ISOSTATIC
1. regional effects caused by vertical movement of land relative to sea; downwards movement of land causes relative SL rise whereas upwards movement causes SL fall.
2. The weight of ice causes land to sink; it moderates in some areas the eustatic sea level fall.
3. Isostatic rebound can continue for 1000s of years after an ice sheet is removed
4. As ice is removed, land moves back to previous levels (isostatic readjustment). If isostatic movment is faster than eustatic, emergant features are produced such as raised beaches. An example is the SE of the UK is sinking whilst the NW is rising. Ice sheets were thickest in N Scotland.

Resource summary

	Created by kin034 over 10 years ago