Causes of sea level change Flashcards
How do ice sheets change sea levels?
Ice sheets on land melt
More water
Input from cryosphere to hydrosphere
How does Thermal expansion change sea levels?
Where there is warmer water, there are higher sea levels
How does Gravitational pull change sea levels?
Water is pulled toward the greatest mass, when the ice melts the water is pulled toward land so sea level rises towards land
How does bathymetry affect sea levels?
The study of the shape of the sea floor
Shallow depth means higher sea level
Deeper depth means lower sea level
How do currents affect sea level?
Thermohaline circulation
How water moves around the planet
Salty water sinks and becomes colder
Warmer water higher sea levels
Fresh water is added which is less salty
Levels and rate of transport change
How do isostatic changes affect sea level?
Relative to land
Shifting tectonic plates
Land compressing under sediment
