Past Sea Level Change

About the lecture

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.

About the lecturer

Dr Chris Spencer is Associate Director of Geography and Environment at the University of the West of England. His research focuses on coastal geomorphology and management, the reconstruction of past sea level change, and the impacts of climate change on coastal environments.