GIA – Glacial Isostatic Adjustment
Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) is the ongoing movement of Earth’s solid crust in response to the weight of past and present ice sheets and the associated changes in sea level. When ice sheets grow, the land beneath them sinks, while surrounding areas uplift. When ice sheets melt, the land rebounds and rises. GIA affects land motion, sea level, Earth’s gravity field, and its rotation, providing a “memory” of past ice ages.
