Glacial-isostatic adjustment and future sea-level change

Last updated: August 2026

About

Ice-sheet loss changes sea level not only by adding water to the ocean, but also by changing gravity, deforming the solid Earth, and altering the rotation of the planet. These glacial-isostatic-adjustment effects produce strongly regional sea-level responses that can persist for millennia.

This project will develop forward models of future sea-level change that include the viscoelastic Earth response to projected ice loss through the end of the twenty-first century. It will quantify how Earth structure and the location of ice loss affect regional sea-level predictions.

Research questions

• How do viscoelastic deformation, gravitational effects, and Earth rotation alter regional sea-level projections?
• Which Earth-rheology parameters matter most over decadal to centennial timescales?
• How sensitive are regional predictions to alternative ice-loss scenarios?

Methods and data

Projects can use GIA models, viscoelastic Earth models, ice-sheet scenarios, sea-level fingerprints, geodetic observations, and sensitivity analysis.

Possible projects

Possible directions include calculating regional sea-level fingerprints, evaluating rheological sensitivity, comparing ice-loss scenarios, or developing an efficient forward-modelling workflow.

Essential background

Useful preparation includes geophysics, glaciology, physics, mathematics, programming, or numerical modelling.