The Features and Processes Associated with Sea Level Change

The Features and Processes Associated with Sea Level Change

Water is the most powerful, destructive and creative force in the

world in which we live. Over 60% of the total area of the earth in

covered by water and as such has the largest effect on the shape of

the land and the carving of new features. The changes that come about

through the movement and change of state of water are various and

encapsulate a multitude of factors. In this essay I am going to focus

upon landforms that have been altered or changed through the process

of water. In particular costal landforms.

Costal landforms can be affected by three factors. Sea level change,

land movement and glacial movement. Thee these factors can be indexed

into two categories Isostatic and Eusostatic. Eusostatic movements are

the global effects such as sea level change and the creation of

gondwana and other such global continental movements. Isostatic

movements are on a local scale and are land based or to do with ice

caps. Although this is a certain crossover point here with global

warming and large scale tectonic movements that can affect the world

on both a global and local scale and therefore cross the boundaries

between Isostatic and eusostatic.

I will concentrate on explaining the 8 different land types that have

been created. Though isostatic and eusostatic changes. Firstly there

are two types of drowned river valleys. Rias are found in highland

areas whereas estuaries are found in low lying areas. Rias are largely

classed as long narrow inlets that gradually decrease in depth from

mouth to head of the river whereas estuaries are classed generally as

large bodies of water at the mouth of a river where large mud flats

form due to a process where salt water and fresh water mixes and

deposits sediment.

There are two types of glaciated valleys, fjords are highland

glaciated valleys and fiards are lowland glaciated valleys. Fjords are

over deepened u shaped valleys caused when glaciers meet the sea and

cause large amounts of vertical erosion.