Coasts - sea level change

Question 1

UK post glacial adjustment

Answer 1

last ice age = 12000 years ago
Scotland - rebounding up to +1.5mm a year
South - subsidence of -1mm a year

• global sea levels fell by 120m as ice sheets grew

Question 2

Bangladesh delta

Answer 2

• 280 million living on delta, megacity
• very fertile land from silt deposition
• regular flood risk, due to:
• building of dams
• groundwater extraction so subsidence
• river straightening
• destruction of mangrove forests
• sea level rise from climate change

Question 3

areas where risk of flooding outweighs erosion

Answer 3

• Estuaries e.g River Thames, Severn, Tees
• River deltas e.g Mississippi, Nile
• Coastal plains e.g east coast of USA

Question 4

storm surge depression flooding

Answer 4

North Sea 2013
- northerly depression movement becoming funnelled causes mass flooding
- storm surges reached more than 5m high in Hull
- 17 deaths, 100s evacuated
- 1400 homes flooded
- £1 billion in damage over whole winter

Question 5

ice age effects on emergent coastlines

Answer 5

• global sea levels fell by 120m due to ice sheets growth
• rose again over 1000 years

Question 6

Fjords

Answer 6

• Norway
• Canada

Question 7

rate of sea level rise

Answer 7

3.6mm per year globally
IPCC 2013 - 28cm to 98cm rise