Difference between revisions of "Relative sea level"

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{{Definition|title=Relative sea level
 
{{Definition|title=Relative sea level
|definition= Relative sea level is the sea level related to the level of the continental crust. Relative sea level changes can thus be caused by absolute changes of the sea level and/or by absolute movements of the continental crust <ref>d’Angremond K., Pluim-Van der Velden E.T.J.M. (2001) Introduction to coastal engineering. P.18-19.</ref>.  
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|definition= The relative sea level is the mean sea level related to a local reference land level.}}
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==Relative sea level change==
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The relative sea level changes as a consequence of [[Sea level rise]]. It changes also due to vertical motions of the land level.
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Global warming is a major cause of sea-level rise. The global mean sea level rises as a consequence of:
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* Increase of the ocean water mass, due to melting of land ice (in particular the polar ice caps) and due to decrease of groundwater and surface water storage on land;
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* Expansion of the ocean water volume due to decrease of water density with increasing temperature.
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The influence of global warming on sea-level rise varies along the world's coastlines as a consequence of <ref> Slangen A.B.A., Katsman C.A., van der Wal R.S.W., Vermeersen L.L.A. and Riva R.E.M. 2012. Towards regional projections of twenty-first century sea-level change using IPCC SRES scenarios. Clim. Dyn. 38 (5): 1191-1209, doi:10.1007/s00382-011-1057-6.</ref>:
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* Residual changes in the strength and distribution of ocean currents;
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* Residual changes in atmospheric pressure distribution;
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* Residual local changes in seawater salinity;
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* Changes in the earth gravitational field related to melting of polar ice caps.
  
==Causes of relative sea level changes==
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Land level change occurs as a consequence of:
Relative sea level change due to absolute changes of the sea level:
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* Isostatic rebound: adjustment of the earth crust due to melting of polar ice caps, causing a rise of the formerly covered areas and a sink of adjacent areas that were not covered;
* Melting/freezing of the icecaps due to global temperature change;
 
* Expansion/contraction of the total water mass due to global temperature change.
 
Relative sea level change due to absolute changes of the continental crust:
 
* Unloading of the continental crust due to melting of the ice caps causes a rise of the formerly covered areas and a sink of adjacent areas that were not covered;
 
 
* Tectonic activity;
 
* Tectonic activity;
* Regional subsidence due to compaction and drainage.
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* Land subsidence due to soil compaction caused by groundwater extraction, oil/gas mining and/or drainage of organic soils.
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Relative sea level change is the net result of these different factors. This implies in most cases a relative rise of the mean sea level, which in some regions may even be substantially stronger than the rise of the global mean sea level. However, in some other regions with strong land uplift the relative sea level is still falling.
  
 
==Response of the coastal system to sea level changes==
 
==Response of the coastal system to sea level changes==
The response of the coast to sea level changes can be classified as a [[regressive coast]], [[transgressive coast]], [[prograding coast]] and [[retrograding coast]].
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The response of the coast to sea level changes can be classified as:
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* [[regressive coast]], seaward coastline shift in the case of a falling relative sea level;
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* [[transgressive coast]], landward shoreline shift in the case of a rising relative sea level;
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* [[prograding coast]], seaward coastline shift when net sediment supply to the coast dominates the impact of relative sea-level rise;
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* [[retrograding coast]], landward shoreline shift when net sediment supply to the coast is insufficient to compensate for relative sea-level rise.
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==See Also==
 
==See Also==
 
* [[Sea level rise]]
 
* [[Sea level rise]]
* [[Sea level rise, extreme weather events and erosion]]
 
 
* [[Potential Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Mangroves]]
 
* [[Potential Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Mangroves]]
 
* [[Greek case studies: The implications of the expected sea level rise on the low lying areas of continental Greece in the next century]]
 
* [[Greek case studies: The implications of the expected sea level rise on the low lying areas of continental Greece in the next century]]
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{{author
 
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|AuthorID= 16611
| AuthorFullName=Anna Kroon
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|AuthorName= AnnaKroon
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|AuthorFullName= Anna Kroon}}
  
[[Category:Theme 8]]
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‏‎[[Category:Sea level rise]]
[[Category:Protection of coastal and marine zones]]
 

Revision as of 21:50, 28 June 2019



Definition of Relative sea level:
The relative sea level is the mean sea level related to a local reference land level.
This is the common definition for Relative sea level, other definitions can be discussed in the article

Relative sea level change

The relative sea level changes as a consequence of Sea level rise. It changes also due to vertical motions of the land level.

Global warming is a major cause of sea-level rise. The global mean sea level rises as a consequence of:

  • Increase of the ocean water mass, due to melting of land ice (in particular the polar ice caps) and due to decrease of groundwater and surface water storage on land;
  • Expansion of the ocean water volume due to decrease of water density with increasing temperature.

The influence of global warming on sea-level rise varies along the world's coastlines as a consequence of [1]:

  • Residual changes in the strength and distribution of ocean currents;
  • Residual changes in atmospheric pressure distribution;
  • Residual local changes in seawater salinity;
  • Changes in the earth gravitational field related to melting of polar ice caps.

Land level change occurs as a consequence of:

  • Isostatic rebound: adjustment of the earth crust due to melting of polar ice caps, causing a rise of the formerly covered areas and a sink of adjacent areas that were not covered;
  • Tectonic activity;
  • Land subsidence due to soil compaction caused by groundwater extraction, oil/gas mining and/or drainage of organic soils.

Relative sea level change is the net result of these different factors. This implies in most cases a relative rise of the mean sea level, which in some regions may even be substantially stronger than the rise of the global mean sea level. However, in some other regions with strong land uplift the relative sea level is still falling.

Response of the coastal system to sea level changes

The response of the coast to sea level changes can be classified as:

  • regressive coast, seaward coastline shift in the case of a falling relative sea level;
  • transgressive coast, landward shoreline shift in the case of a rising relative sea level;
  • prograding coast, seaward coastline shift when net sediment supply to the coast dominates the impact of relative sea-level rise;
  • retrograding coast, landward shoreline shift when net sediment supply to the coast is insufficient to compensate for relative sea-level rise.


See Also

References

  1. Slangen A.B.A., Katsman C.A., van der Wal R.S.W., Vermeersen L.L.A. and Riva R.E.M. 2012. Towards regional projections of twenty-first century sea-level change using IPCC SRES scenarios. Clim. Dyn. 38 (5): 1191-1209, doi:10.1007/s00382-011-1057-6.
The main author of this article is Anna Kroon
Please note that others may also have edited the contents of this article.

Citation: Anna Kroon (2019): Relative sea level. Available from http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Relative_sea_level [accessed on 28-03-2024]


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