Sea Level Rise (And Fall)

Catalog description

This course will explore the many themes that surround the global problem of sea level rise. Moving from Earth’s early history to modern times, through different case studies, this course will explore the underlying physics that contribute to sea level rise on time scales of years to millions of years. The relevant physics that drive this change will be covered, from deep time geological processes (i.e., eustasy and dynamic topography), ice age sea level (glacial isostatic adjustment, viscoelastic deformation theory), and modern-day sea-level change (sea level feedbacks on ice sheet stability, thermal expansion, sea level fingerprinting). The emphasis of this course is the interplay between the dynamics of the solid Earth (mantle and crust) and the overlying oceanic and cryosphere system and so any student interested in a wide perspective on the Earth system is encouraged to join.