Peer-reviewed scientific literature demonstrates that the loading effect of sediment deposition can cause measurable changes in relative sea level and ongoing viscous readjustment.
Abstract. Models for postglacial rebound, or Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) routinely include the effects of meltwater redistribution and changes in topography and coastlines. Since the sediment transport related to the dynamics of ice sheets may be comparable to that of sea level rise in terms of surface pressure, the loading effect of sediment deposition could cause measurable ongoing viscous readjustment. Here we study the loading effect of glacial induced sediment redistribution (GISR) related to the Weichselian ice sheet in Fennoscandia and the Barents Sea. The surface loading effect and its effect on the gravitational potential is modelled by including changes in sediment thickness in the sea level equation following the method of Dalca et al. (2013). Sediment displacement estimates are estimated in two different ways: (i) from a compilation of studies on smaller features: through mouth fans, large scale failure and basin flux and (ii) from output of a coupled ice-sediment model. To account for uncertainty in Earth’s rheology three viscosity profiles are used. It is found that sediment transport can lead to changes in relative sea level of at most several meters with the largest effect occurring earlier in the deglaciation. This magnitude is below the error level of most of the relative sea level data because data are sparse and errors are larger for older data. The maximum effect on present-day uplift rates is a few tenths of mm yr−1, which is around the measuremen
Models for glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) routinely include the effects of meltwater redistribution and changes in topography and coastlines. Since the sediment transport related to the dynamics of ice sheets may be comparable to that of sea level rise in terms of surface pressure, the loading effect of sediment deposition could cause measurable ongoing viscous readjustment. Here, we study the loading effect of glacially induced sediment redistribution (GISR) related to the Weichselian ice sheet in Fennoscandia and the Barents Sea. The surface loading effect and its effect on the gravitational potential is modeled by including changes in sediment thickness in the sea level equation following the method of Dalca et al. (2013). Sediment displacement estimates are estimated in two different ways: (i) from a compilation of studies on local features (trough mouth fans, large-scale failures, and basin flux) and (ii) from output of a coupled ice–sediment model. To account for uncertainty in Earth's rheology, three viscosity profiles are used. It is found that sediment transport can lead to changes in relative sea level of up to 2 m in the last 6000 years and larger effects occurring earlier in the deglaciation. This magnitude is below the error level of most of the relative sea level data because those data are sparse and errors increase with length of time before present. The effect on present-day uplift rates reaches a few tenths of millimeters per year in large parts of Norwa
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