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Contents of 13.4 Why does sea level change?

Graph showing sea levels from the past compared to present day with the highest levels during the Mesozoic and middel Plaeozoic

13.4 Why does sea level change?

Fig 13.15

The data indicate that sea level has been over 200 m higher in the past than at the present.

Why is this and how does it occur?

If we consider the oceans as a single container of water there are two basic premises: either change the amount of water in the system or change the volume of the "container."