The approach taken in this project is to combine quantitative analyses and state-of-the-art numerical modelling efforts from the two disciplines of sea-level research and glacial geomorphology with empirical data analysis, in order to investigate the influence of such processes on the solid Earth, ice sheets, and sea level. This novel modelling scheme will be applied to study the former Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS), where remarkable empirical constraints exist on glacial isostatic rebound, past ice sheet extent, and deposited sediment volumes. By investigating a former ice sheet, this project will improve our understanding of processes that are highly relevant for the future evolution of existing ice sheets such as the Greenland ice sheet.
This project has found that erosion and deposition during glacial times has a significant impact on solid Earth deformation and local sea level, both in Scandinavia and in Greenland. In particular, the selective glacial erosion that form deep valleys and fjords will result in surface changes that extend far beyond the glacial troughs and the onshore region in general. As a result, the coastline regions on fjord-dominated areas may have experiences as much as several hundred meters of relative sea level fall during glacial times. The project has also found that ice sheets are widely affected by changes in the underlying topography. By changing the the amount of ice that can be stored on land, landscape evolution has the potential to influence global sea level. Finally, the work from this project is expected to improve the general understanding of landscape evolution in Scandinavia during glacial times, in particular related to the effects of erosion-induced solid-Earth deformation and the effects glaciations have had in the region.
