Climate Change Landforms

Question 1

Emergent coasts

Answer 1

Where the coasts are rising relative to sea level, possibly due to tectonic uplift

Question 2

Submergent coasts

Answer 2

Where the coasts are decreasing/sinking relative to sea level

Question 3

Sea level rise 1965-2090

Answer 3

1965-1993: 1.8mm/year increase
1993-2005: 3.1mm/year increase
2005-2090: 3.7-8mm/year increase (estimated)

Question 4

Reasons for sea level rise

Answer 4

• Melting ice caps/glaciers due to global warming
• Thermal expansion
• Tectonic activity
• Post glacial rebound/isostatic adjustment (seesaw effect)

Question 5

Eustatic change

Answer 5

Global sea level change

Question 6

Isostatic change

Answer 6

Local sea level change

Question 7

Ria

Answer 7

A river valleys that have been flooded due to rising sea levels. An example of a ria is Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, USA

Question 8

Fjord

Answer 8

A long, steep stretches of land that has been carved out by a glacier over thousand of years. They become flooded due to sea level rise. (e.g Sognefjord, Norway)

Question 9

Raised beaches/Marine terraces

Answer 9

Cliffs that have survived on their own following destructive processes

Question 10

Relict cliffs/Fossil cliffs/Abandoned cliffs

Answer 10

Areas of flat, elevated land, above the sea level, that are not reachable by waves. They are formed due to either a drop in sea levels, or a raise in the land that means that this area of land that was previously covered by the ocean is now unreachable at high tide. (Examples of raised beaches include Alexander Bay in South Africa and Ballyhillin Beach in the Republic of Ireland

Question 11

What causes eustatic change?

Answer 11

Eustatic global change is caused by melting ice sheets (on land) and glaciers, in addition to thermal expansion, as ice that is already in the sea will not cause sea levels to rise when it melts. Eustatic change happens when ice melts following an ice age, as during an ice age, much of the precipitation is snow and therefore joins the ice on the land. Thermal contraction also occurs in an ice age, causing the sea levels to decrease

Question 12

What causes isostatic change?

Answer 12

Isostatic local change can be caused by post glacial rebound. It can also be caused when weight is added to one side of the land, such as building developments. Tectonic activity can also result in isostatic change

Question 13

Emergent landforms

Answer 13

Rias, fjords, shingle beaches

Question 14

Submergent landforms

Answer 14

Raised beaches, relict cliffs