Gornitz 2005

Gornitz, V., 2005: Sea level rise. In Encyclopedia of World Climatology. J.E. Oliver, Ed., Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, pp. 641-644.

Over the last few million years, changes in the extent of polar ice sheets and glaciers have periodically removed or added water to the world's oceans, affecting global sea level. Glacial eustatic changes in sea level are those caused by variations in ocean water volume from grwoth or melting of continental ice. Although the ice contained in mountain glaciers represents only ~0.5 m of global sea level, they are highly sensitive to climate change. The Anstarctic and Greenland ice sheets contain enough water to elevate global sea level by ~70 m, so that even a small change in volume could create a significant effect.

As oceans warm, water density decreases and, even if no meltwater were added from ice sheets or glaciers, the volume would increase, causing a steric change. Crustal deformation introduces a major source of geographic variability through glacial isostasy, with effects extending for thousands of kilmeters from the centers of former ice sheets. Changes in the amount of water stored in lakes and reservoirs, groundwater, and modification in land-use patterns that alter evapotranspiration may also influence sea level.

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Gornitz, V.: Sea level rise, in: Encyclopedia of World Climatology, edited by Oliver, J.E., Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, 641-644, Springer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 2005.

Gornitz, V. (2005), Sea level rise, in Encyclopedia of World Climatology, Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, edited by J.E. Oliver, pp. 641-644, Springer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands.

Gornitz, V., 2005: Sea level rise. In Encyclopedia of World Climatology. J.E. Oliver, Ed., Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, pp. 641-644.

Gornitz, V. 2005, in Encyclopedia of World Climatology, ed. Oliver, J.E., Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, 641 (Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer).

Gornitz V. Sea level rise. In: Oliver JE, editor. Encyclopedia of World Climatology, Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, pp. 641-644. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer; 2005.

V. Gornitz, In Encyclopedia of World Climatology, J.E. Oliver, Ed. (Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, Springer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 2005), pp. 641-644.