EUSTATIC SEA LEVEL CHANGE

EUSTATIC SEA LEVEL CHANGE

• The temperature dropped as the ice age began. Water froze into glaciers, removing it from the sea but not reintroducing it. Because of this, the sea level went down.
• When the ice age ended, the temperature rose, and the melting ice returned the water to the sea, producing global warming.
• As global temperatures rise, the amount of ocean water expands (thermal expansion), causing sea levels to rise.
• It is a local rise or fall of the earth that causes isostatic sea level change, and the changes take time.
• Eustatic refers to a rise or decrease in water levels induced by a change in water volume.
• It's a worldwide shift that happens swiftly.
• The magnitude of isostatic and eustatic changes during and after the last glacial epoch are connected, although at very different speeds.
• Postglacial sea level rose swiftly, drowning many coastlines—submergent coasts.
• The isostatic adjustment was extended, allowing freshly drowned coastlines to rise from the sea in formerly ice-covered places—emergent coasts.
• As a result, certain beaches may emerge while others submerge, and others may achieve a condition of dynamic balance with the fluctuating sea level.

Reasons for sea-level changes

• We are regularly reminded that sea levels are continuing to rise. The causes are hotly discussed, with two of the most prevalent responses being:
• We are still recovering from our last ice age. As a result, isostatic rebound is continuous, and melting from the previous ice age is still occurring.
• As a result of global warming, the Earth is becoming hotter. Between 1880 and 2012, global average temperatures increased by 0.85 degrees Celsius. Between 1870 and 2010, average sea levels climbed by 21cm.
• We know that sea levels increase as a result of climate change, which causes ice sheets to melt and causes the sea to expand as it warms.
• The tectonic activity that damaged the coastline of Aceh Province in Sumatra also caused tectonic subsidence, which resulted in a rift.
• In some locations, coral reefs rose during this time period and later declined due to wave action.
• This sort of alteration is infrequent, restricted, and limited to tectonically active zones, but when it occurs, it causes dramatic, sudden changes to the shoreline.

The Effects Of Sea-Level Rise

• Globally, the consequences of rising sea levels are already being seen.
• Millions of euros have already been invested in the Delta works in the Netherlands, and significant public funds are set aside for ongoing maintenance and enhancements to protect this highly populated region of northern Europe.
• The Sundarbans region of West Bengal and Bangladesh's low-lying delta are among the world's fastest receding beaches, with some areas undergoing more than 20 meters of erosion every year.
• Furthermore, there appears to be an increase in the frequency of cyclones and related tidal surges.
• Low-lying island governments in the Pacific Ocean are already seeing the harshest effects of sea-level rise, with higher rates of salinization, coastline erosion, and storm surges driving many to consider relocation and becoming environmental refugees.
• As previously stated, the east coast of the United Kingdom is at great risk of flooding and destruction. The east coast is densely populated.
• As a result, their houses and livelihoods are in jeopardy.
• There is also some vital infrastructure in the region, such as multiple power plants. Six of these are nuclear power reactors, two of which are no longer operational.
• Changes in sea level are part of the continuous worry about coastal hazards.
• Coastal retreat and floods are two further coastal concerns.
• There are management techniques that we may adopt to reduce coastal risk and prepare for natural disasters.
• It is also critical to be aware of the threats exacerbated by human activity.

IMAGE SOURCE (THUMBNAIL)