Past Sea Level Change

Coasts III: Sea Level Rise and Coastal Management

In this course, Dr Chris Spencer (University of the West of England) explores the past, present and future of sea level rise, its impacts on coastlines, and strategies for managing the coast. In the first module, we look at past sea level change, its eustatic and isostatic drivers, and how it has shaped the position and characteristics of the British coastline. The second module then considers contemporary and future sea level rise, how it is being caused by human-induced climate change, and the effects it is likely to have on coastal communities across the world. In the third module we turn to coastal management, outlining the key factors to consider when choosing between different approaches. We conclude with a fourth module assessing a range of hard and soft engineering strategies, and emphasising the importance of an integrated approach to coastal management.

Past Sea Level Change

In this module, we think about past sea level change and how it has impacted coasts over time. We focus on: (i) how the position of the British coastline has moved further inland due to sea level rise over the past 18,000 years; (ii) deglaciation at the end of the last Ice Age as the main cause of this historic sea level rise; (iii) the impacts on coasts of projected future sea level rise linked to human-driven global warming; (iv) the role of Milankovitch cycles in driving past periods of climate change, including that which ended that last Ice Age; (v) the difference between eustatic and isostatic sea level change, and how isostatic uplift has influenced the present position and features of different parts of the British coastline.