Sea level lies at the intersection of Earth's solid, liquid, and gaseous components, and thus forms a fundamental boundary on our planet that affects both biology and geology.
Human society must adjust to changes in this boundary, which is now rising 2-3 mm per year. Although climatological factors such as seawater warming and glacial melting are major contributors to sea level rise, deformation of the solid earth also exerts an important, and often dominating, influence on sea level.
Over decades, the movement of mass from glaciers to oceans drives ground surface deformations that cause rates of sea level change to vary from place to place. Over thousands of years, the solid earth responds to past deglaciations, causing slow but large sea level adjustments.
Over millions of years, plate tectonics, sedimentation and seafloor volcanism have driven a slow sea level drop of 150-300 meters, but with a coastal expression that depends on local patterns of tectonic uplift and subsidence.
Over billions of years, ocean water is probably lost to larger reservoirs stored within the earth's deep interior.
Understanding these solid earth processes is essential to predicting patterns of future sea level change, some of which will impact society significantly.
Article: DOI:10.1130/B30764.1.