Sea level change Flashcards
What 3 types of sea level change is there?
Eustatic, isostatic, and tectonic.
What is eustatic sea level change?
A global change in sea level resulting from an actual fall or rise in sea level e.g melting ice caps.
What is isostatic sea level change?
Local changes in sea level resulting from the land itself rising or falling relative to the sea.
What is tectonic sea level change?
Global change in sea level resulting in the formation of land, or the formation of trenches.
What is a ria?
A former river valley, drowned by rising sea levels.
What is a fjord?
A flooded glacial valley.
What is a local example of a ria?
The Fowey estury in Cornwall.
What are some characteristics of a ria?
Long cross profiles.
Dendritic drainage system.
What is a dendritic drainage system?
A drainage system where the underlying rock has no particular pattern or structure amd can be easily eroded in all directions.
What are some characteristics of fjords?
U-shaped valleys
Steep valley sides
Hanging valleys
How are dalmatian coasts formed?
When the topography of the land runs parallel to the coastline as opposed to perpendicular in the case of rias and fjords.
What are raised beaches?
Areas of former wave cut platforms and their beaches where previous sea level was higher than present sea level.
Where are raised beaches most common?
On coastlines which have experienced isostatic sea level change and have experienced uplift.
What other landforms are often apparent on raised beaches?
Old cliff lines, wave cut notches, sea caves, arches, stacks and stumps.
What are the estimations for future sea level rise?
30-110 cm by 2100, but very uncertain and unpredictable.
What two factors contribute to causing changes in sea level?
Increases in the volume of ocean.
Subsidence of the coast.
In what two ways is the volume of the ocean increasing?
Surface ice melting due to climate change.
Thermal expansion due to global warming.
