Sea level change

Question 1

What are the 2 types of sea level change

Answer 1

Eustatic and Isostatic

Question 2

What is Eustatic sea level change

Answer 2

Change in the volume of the SEA with GLOBAL effects

Question 3

What is Isostatic sea level change

Answer 3

Change in the movement of LAND with LOCAL effects

Question 4

What are the causes of Eustatic sea level change

Answer 4

1. Tectonic movements - alter the sea basin, lowering or raising sea level
2. Climate change - hot water expands and rises, more water is added through melting glaciers

Question 5

What are the causes of isostatic sea level change

Answer 5

1. Tectonic movements
2. Compression of earths crust (sediment sinks land, when melted it rises)
3. Abstracting groundwater sinks land

Question 6

What are the 2 types of coastlines caused by sea level change

Answer 6

coastlines of submergence and emergence

Question 7

What are the 3 coastlines of submergence

Answer 7

1. Ria
2. Fjord
3. Dalmation coastline

Question 8

What are the 2 coastlines of emergence

Answer 8

1. Raised beaches (exposed wave cut platform which are now above sea level, can be up to 30m high and commonly found in Scotland)
2. Relict cliffs (cliffs which display features like caves and have vegetation)

Question 9

How does the typical sequence of sea level rise go (part 1 and 2)

Answer 9

1. New glacial period increases precipitation in the form of snow which accumulates as glacial ice slowing down the water cycle, causing sea level to fall
2. Accumulated ice causes the land to sink due to weight so sea levels rise

Question 10

What are the physical impacts of sea level rise

Answer 10

1. Frequent/severe flooding - Venice floods 100 times a year, in 1900 it only flooded 10
2. Submergence of low lying land
3. Changes in coastline, sea level change is why the UK is no longer connected to Europe

Question 11

Give an example of an overseas area being effected by sea level rise

Answer 11

Kiribati

Question 12

Give some context about Kiribati

Answer 12

It consists of 33 islands and has a population of 120,000 people. It is predicted to disappear in 50 years

Question 13

Why are the population of Kiribati so vulnerable

Answer 13

Most of the land is only 2m above sea level and the sea is rising 4x faster here than the global average

Question 14

What are some human impacts of sea level rise on Kiribati

Answer 14

1. Purchased 20km^2 of land in Fiji to use for farmland (in 2014)
2. Environmental refugee deal with New Zealand so they have somewhere to go
3. Habitats, homes, jobs, cultures and the beautiful island is being destroyed

Question 15

What are some solutions to Kiribati’s sea level change

Answer 15

Plant mangroves
Stop cutting down trees
Educate
Build sea walls

Question 16

How does the typical sequence of sea level rise go (part 3 and 4)

Answer 16

Eventually the climate warms and ice melts, causing sea levels to rise and creating features of emergence

As ice melts the land uplifts, causing sea levels to decrease, through isostatic readjustment

Question 17

What is a ria

Answer 17

A ria is a drowned river valley, of which the floodplain has vanished , yet on the edge of the uplands, the highland remains dry

They are wide and deep but become more narrow and shallow inland

Question 18

What is a fjord

Answer 18

A drained glacial valley which are generally straight and narrow, with steep valley sides and a U shaped cross section

The threshold of fjords are generally shallow due to reduced glacial erosion as it came into contact with the sea

Question 19

What is a Dalmatian coastline

Answer 19

When land runs parallel to the coast and becomes flooded

Question 20

What is the difference between a raised beach and a marine platform

Answer 20

Marine platforms have more of a gentle sloping gradient rather than a flat one